EX-INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALLER GETS JAIL TERM FOR COCAINE IMPORTATION
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By: Fasasi Hammad
A fugitive drug kingpin, Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu, and former international footballer, Segun George Hunkarin, have been sentenced to a combined 24 years in prison by the Federal High Court in Lagos for unlawfully importing 7.050 kilograms of cocaine into Nigeria.
Justice Musa Kakaki handed down the sentence after finding both men guilty of separate cocaine importation offences.
Chinedu was initially arraigned in September 2015 on a one-count charge for importing 6.250 kilograms of cocaine. Although granted bail after pleading not guilty, he absconded during trial and remained on the run for nearly a decade.
He was re-arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on June 24, 2025, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, while attempting to smuggle an additional 800 grams of cocaine into Nigeria aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa.
Investigations revealed that Chinedu had travelled from Turkey and collected the cocaine-laden luggage during a stopover in Addis Ababa before arriving in Lagos.
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Further intelligence led to the arrest of his accomplice, Segun George Hunkarin, a former professional footballer who had played for clubs in Brazil. Hunkarin was apprehended at the airport car park, where he had allegedly gone to receive the drug consignment.
During interrogation, Hunkarin admitted he had trafficked drugs twice from Brazil to Ethiopia while pursuing his football career.
The duo was subsequently arraigned on a three-count charge for conspiring to import the 800 grams of cocaine.
Delivering judgment on July 24, 2026, Justice Kakaki sentenced Chinedu to 20 years’ imprisonment without the option of a fine for importing 6.250 kilograms of cocaine and an additional two years for conspiring with Hunkarin to import 800 grams of cocaine, bringing his total sentence to 22 years.
Hunkarin received a two-year prison sentence for conspiracy, bringing the combined jail term to 24 years.
During the trial, NDLEA prosecutor Adekunle Adebajo reminded the court that Chinedu had fled after being granted bail in 2015 and urged the court to impose penalties in line with the NDLEA Act.
Although defence counsel pleaded for leniency and requested the option of fines instead of custodial sentences, the court rejected the plea and imposed prison terms without the option of a fine.
Reacting to the judgment, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the judiciary for the conviction, describing it as a strong signal that drug traffickers cannot escape justice, regardless of how long they remain at large.
Marwa also praised the NDLEA officers involved in the investigation, arrest and prosecution of the case, saying Chinedu’s re-arrest after nearly 10 years on the run demonstrated the agency’s persistence in tracking fugitives.
He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to working with the judiciary and other stakeholders to ensure all drug traffickers are brought to justice, irrespective of their status or the length of time they evade arrest.
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