Fugitive Drug Kingpin, Ex-Int’l Footballer Jailed 24 Years For Cocaine Trafficking

A fugitive drug kingpin, Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu, and a former international footballer, Segun George Hunkarin, have been sentenced to a combined 24 years imprisonment by the Federal High Court in Lagos for importing cocaine into Nigeria.

Justice Musa Kakaki, who delivered the judgment, sentenced Chinedu to 22 years in prison without the option of a fine, while Hunkarin received a two-year jail term for conspiracy.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)’s spokesperson Femi Babafemi said Chinedu was initially arraigned in September 2015 on a one-count charge of unlawfully importing 6.250 kilogrammes of cocaine.

Although granted bail, he absconded midway through his trial and remained on the run for nearly a decade.

The NDLEA re-arrested him on June 24, 2025, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, while attempting to smuggle another 800 grammes of cocaine into Nigeria aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa.

Investigations revealed that Chinedu had travelled from Turkey, transited through Ethiopia where he collected the drug consignment from another individual before flying into Lagos.

The agency also arrested Hunkarin, a former professional footballer who played for clubs in Brazil, while he waited in the airport car park to receive the cocaine.

The NDLEA noted that during interrogation, Hunkarin admitted he had previously trafficked drugs twice from Brazil to Ethiopia during his football career.

Both men were subsequently arraigned on a three-count charge of conspiracy and unlawful importation of 800 grammes of cocaine.

During the trial, NDLEA prosecutor Adekunle Adebajo reminded the court that Chinedu had jumped bail in the earlier 2015 cocaine case and urged the court to impose the penalties prescribed under the NDLEA Act.

Defence counsel for both convicts appealed for leniency and requested the court to impose fines instead of custodial sentences, but Justice Kakaki rejected the plea after reviewing the evidence and legal submissions.

Reacting to the judgment, NDLEA chairman and chief executive officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (retd.), described the conviction as a strong affirmation of the judiciary’s commitment to combating drug trafficking in Nigeria.

Marwa said Chinedu’s re-arrest after almost 10 years on the run demonstrated the determination, patience and professionalism of NDLEA operatives in tracking down fugitives and ensuring that no drug trafficker escapes justice.

He also commended the officers involved in the arrest, investigation and prosecution of the case, reaffirming the agency’s commitment to working with the judiciary and other stakeholders to bring drug traffickers to justice, regardless of their status or how long they evade the law.