Ex-international footballer, fugitive drug kingpin jailed 24 years for cocaine importation

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…NDLEA re-arrested fugitive after nearly 10 years on the run

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By Olasunkanmi Akoni

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

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Justice Musa Kakaki convicted the duo over the unlawful importation of 7.050 kilograms of cocaine in two separate offences.

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Chinedu was initially arraigned in September 2015 on a one-count charge (FHC/L/227C/2015) for allegedly importing 6.250 kilograms of cocaine into the country. He pleaded not guilty and was granted bail but absconded during trial, remaining at large for nearly a decade.

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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 allegedly attempting to smuggle an additional 800 grams of cocaine into Nigeria aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa.

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According to the NDLEA, investigations revealed that Chinedu had travelled from Turkey and transited through Addis Ababa, where he allegedly collected the suitcase containing the illicit drug before flying to Lagos.

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Further investigation led to the arrest of Hunkarin, a former professional footballer who reportedly played for clubs in Brazil. He was apprehended in the airport car park while allegedly waiting to receive the consignment.

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The agency said Hunkarin admitted in his statement that he had trafficked drugs from Brazil to Ethiopia on two previous occasions while playing football in South America.

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The two men were subsequently arraigned on a three-count charge (FHC/L/669C/2025) bordering on conspiracy and unlawful importation of 800 grams of cocaine.

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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. He was also sentenced to an additional two years without the option of a fine for conspiring with Hunkarin to import 800 grams of cocaine, bringing his total sentence to 22 years.

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Hunkarin was sentenced to two years imprisonment on the conspiracy charge, bringing the combined jail term for both convicts to 24 years.

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Reviewing the case, NDLEA prosecuting counsel, Barrister Adekunle Adebajo, reminded the court that Chinedu had absconded after being granted bail in 2015 and urged the court to impose appropriate penalties in line with the NDLEA Act.

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Counsel for the defendants, Chief Benson Ndakara and Chief Emefo Etudo, pleaded for leniency and urged the court to consider imposing fines instead of custodial sentences.

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The court, however, rejected the request and sentenced both convicts to prison without the option of a fine.

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Reacting to the judgment, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the court, describing the verdict as a strong demonstration of the judiciary’s commitment to the fight against drug trafficking.

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Marwa also praised the NDLEA officers involved in the investigation, arrest and prosecution of the case, noting that Chinedu’s re-arrest after nearly 10 years on the run underscored the agency’s determination to track down fugitives and ensure that drug traffickers are brought to justice.

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He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to working with the judiciary and other stakeholders to combat illicit drug trafficking across the country.

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