The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has secured the conviction of a fugitive drug kingpin, Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu, and a former international footballer, Hunkarin Segun George, who were sentenced to a combined 24 years imprisonment for importing cocaine into Nigeria.
Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court, Lagos, handed down the verdict after finding the duo guilty of unlawful importation of 7.050 kilograms of cocaine.
Chinedu, who was initially arraigned in September 2015 over the importation of 6.250 kilograms of cocaine, had jumped bail during his trial and remained on the run for nearly a decade before being re-arrested by NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, on June 24, 2025.
He was intercepted while attempting to smuggle an additional 800 grams of cocaine into the country aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa. Investigations revealed that Chinedu, a frequent traveller between Nigeria and Turkey, had collected the illicit consignment during transit in Ethiopia before flying into Lagos.
Further investigation led to the arrest of his accomplice, Hunkarin Segun George, a former professional footballer who had played for clubs in Brazil. NDLEA operatives apprehended him at the airport car park while waiting to receive the cocaine shipment.
According to the Agency, Hunkarin admitted during interrogation that he had trafficked drugs twice from Brazil to Ethiopia during his football career in South America.
Both suspects were subsequently arraigned on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy and unlawful importation of 800 grams of cocaine.
Delivering judgment on Friday, July 24, 2026, Justice Kakaki sentenced Chinedu to 20 years imprisonment without an option of fine for the 2015 cocaine importation case and an additional two years for conspiring with Hunkarin to import the 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 for both convicts to 24 years.
During the trial, NDLEA prosecutor, Barrister Adekunle Adebajo, reminded the court that Chinedu had absconded after being granted bail in 2015 and urged the court to impose appropriate punishment under the NDLEA Act.
Although defence counsel pleaded for leniency and requested the option of fines instead of custodial sentences, the court rejected the request and imposed prison terms without the option of fine.
Reacting to the judgment, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the judiciary for what he described as a reaffirmation of the courts’ commitment to combating drug trafficking.
Marwa also praised NDLEA officers involved in the arrest, investigation and prosecution of the case, noting that Chinedu’s re-arrest after nearly 10 years on the run underscored the Agency’s determination, patience and professionalism in tracking down fugitives.
He reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to working closely with the judiciary and other stakeholders to ensure that all drug traffickers, regardless of their status or how long they evade justice, are brought to book.
