A Federal High Court in Lagos has jailed fugitive drug kingpin Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu and former international footballer Hunkarin Segun George for a combined 24 years over cocaine importation into Nigeria.
Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court, Lagos, convicted the two men for unlawfully importing 7.050 kilograms of cocaine.
The judge sentenced Chinedu to 22 years in prison and Hunkarin to two years, both without the option of a fine.
Chinedu first appeared before the court in September 2015 on a one-count charge marked FHC/L/227C/2015 for importing 6.250 kilograms of cocaine.
He pleaded not guilty and got bail. However, he jumped bail during trial and stayed on the run for almost 10 years.
NDLEA operatives re-arrested Chinedu on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos. He allegedly tried to smuggle 800 grams of cocaine into Nigeria on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa.
Investigators said Chinedu often travelled between Turkey and Nigeria, bringing clothes into Nigeria and taking food items back to Turkey.
They found that he travelled from Turkey, stopped in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, collected a bag from another person and continued to Lagos.
NDLEA officers discovered that Hunkarin waited at the airport car park to collect the cocaine. They tracked and arrested him immediately.
Hunkarin admitted in his statement that he trafficked drugs twice from Brazil to Ethiopia while playing professional football in the South American country.
NDLEA charged both men under suit number FHC/L/669C/2025 on three counts linked to the importation of 800 grams of cocaine.
Delivering judgment on Friday, July 24, 2026, Justice Kakaki sentenced Chinedu to 20 years for importing 6.250 kilograms of cocaine and another two years for conspiring with Hunkarin to import 800 grams, bringing his total sentence to 22 years.
However, the court sentenced Hunkarin to two years for conspiracy. The combined prison terms total 24 years.
Prosecuting counsel, Barrister Adekunle Adebajo, reminded the court that Chinedu disappeared after getting bail in 2015 before Justice Salihu Saudi, now retired. He urged the court to apply the relevant provisions of the NDLEA Act.
However, defence lawyers Chief Benson Ndakara and Chief Emefo Etudo asked the court to show mercy and consider fines instead of prison terms.
The judge rejected the request after reviewing the evidence and legal arguments.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the judgment.
He said it showed the judiciary’s commitment to fighting drug trafficking in Nigeria.
Marwa also commended the NDLEA officers who handled the arrest, investigation and prosecution.
He said Chinedu’s re-arrest after nearly 10 years on the run proved the agency’s determination to track fugitives and ensure no drug trafficker escapes justice.
He added that the agency would continue working with the judiciary and other stakeholders to bring drug traffickers to justice, regardless of their status or how long they evade arrest.
External Links
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA): https://ndlea.gov.ng/
Federal High Court of Nigeria: https://fhc.gov.ng/
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC): https://www.unodc.org/
