A federal court in Lagos has sentenced a former international football player, Segun George Hunkarin, and a long-time fugitive, Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu, to a total of 24 years in prison for their roles in importing cocaine. Justice Musa Kakaki issued the sentences following their conviction on charges related to the smuggling of over 7 kilograms of the illegal substance.
Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu had been on the run for nearly a decade after jumping bail in 2015 while facing charges for a 6.250-kilogram cocaine importation case. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) finally apprehended him on June 24, 2025, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport. He was attempting to smuggle an additional 800 grams of cocaine into Nigeria from Ethiopia. Subsequent investigations led officers to arrest Segun George Hunkarin, a former player for Brazilian clubs, who was waiting to collect the narcotics at the airport.
During the sentencing on July 24, 2026, the court handed Chinedu 22 years in total—20 years for his original 2015 offense and an additional 2 years for the new conspiracy charge. Hunkarin received a two-year sentence for his role in the conspiracy. Justice Kakaki denied requests from defense counsel for leniency, ruling that both men would serve their time without the possibility of a fine.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), praised the court’s decision, noting that it highlights the judiciary’s firm stance against drug crime. He also lauded his team for their persistence in locating and capturing a suspect who had evaded justice for ten years.
