By Oluwakemi Kindness
A Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced fugitive drug kingpin, Ntoruka Emmanuel-Chinedu, and former professional footballer, Hunkarin Segun-George, to a combined 24 years imprisonment for unlawfully importing cocaine into Nigeria.
Justice Musa Kakaki handed Chinedu a 22-year prison term without the option of a fine after convicting him for importing 6.250 kilograms of cocaine and conspiracy. Hunkarin was sentenced to two years imprisonment for conspiring in the importation of 800 grams of cocaine.
According to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Chinedu was first arraigned in 2015 but absconded after being granted bail, remaining on the run for nearly a decade. He was rearrested on June 24, 2025, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while allegedly attempting to smuggle another 800 grams of cocaine into the country from Turkey via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Investigations revealed that Hunkarin, a former professional footballer who played in Brazil, was waiting at the airport to receive the illicit consignment before both men were arrested and charged.
The court rejected pleas by the defence for lighter sentences, insisting on custodial terms in view of the gravity of the offences.
Reacting to the judgment, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), described the conviction as a strong message that drug traffickers cannot outrun justice, regardless of how long they evade the law.
Marwa also commended NDLEA officers for tracking down Chinedu after almost 10 years and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to working with the judiciary and other stakeholders to rid Nigeria of drug trafficking.
