Fugitive Drug Kingpin & Ex-Footballer Jailed 24 Years Over 7kg Cocaine Smuggling
10 Years on the Run Ends in 22 Years Jail: NDLEA Nabs Fugitive Kingpin, Ex-Footballer at Lagos Airport
A fugitive drug kingpin and a former international footballer have been sentenced to a combined 24 years in prison by the Federal High Court in Lagos for cocaine trafficking.
Justice Musa Kakaki on Friday, July 24, convicted Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu and Hunkarin Segun George for the unlawful importation of 7.050 kilograms of cocaine into Nigeria.
The 10-Year Chase
Chinedu was first arraigned in September 2015 for importing 6.250kg of cocaine. He pleaded not guilty, got bail, and vanished, evading trial for nearly 10 years.
His luck ran out on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, when the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) operatives re-arrested him at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja. He was caught attempting to smuggle 800 grams of cocaine on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa.
Investigations revealed Chinedu operated as a frequent flyer, moving clothes from Turkey to Nigeria and foodstuffs back. This time, he collected the luggage in Addis Ababa before heading to Lagos.
Waiting for him at the airport car park was his accomplice, Segun George Hunkarin — an ex-professional footballer who played in Brazil. Hunkarin was promptly tracked and arrested while waiting to collect the consignment. In his statement, he admitted to trafficking drugs twice from Brazil to Ethiopia during his football days.
The Judgment
Both men were arraigned on a three-count charge, FHC/L/669C/2025. Justice Kakaki sentenced Chinedu to: 20 years for the 2015 importation of 6.250kg of cocaine and 2 years for conspiracy in the 2025 800g importation, which brings it to a total of 22 years without option of fine
While Hunkarin got 2 years for conspiracy and a combined 24 years behind bars.
Pleading for leniency, defence counsel asked for fines. The court rejected it, citing the gravity of the offence and provisions of the NDLEA Act.
NDLEA Reacts
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chairman/CEO of NDLEA, hailed the judgment as proof of the judiciary’s commitment to fighting drug trafficking. “The re-arrest of Chinedu after nearly 10 years on the run shows the doggedness and patience of NDLEA officers. No matter how long it takes, no drug trafficker will escape justice,” Marwa said.
He commended the NDLEA team and restated the agency’s resolve to work with the judiciary to ensure traffickers face the full weight of the law, regardless of status.
