LIFESTYLE Culture

Ex-Footballer, Drug Kingpin Jailed Over Cocaine Smuggling

by admin on | 2026-07-28 12:02:24

Share: Facebook | Twitter | Whatsapp | Linkedin Visits: 62

---

Ex-Footballer, Drug Kingpin Jailed Over Cocaine Smuggling

By Ahmad Sirajo Makama, Abuja

A Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced fugitive drug kingpin, Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu, and former international footballer, Hunkarin Segun George, to a combined 24 years’ imprisonment for importing 7.050 kilogrammes of cocaine, concluding a case that spanned more than a decade.

Justice Musa Kakaki delivered the judgment on 24 July 2026 after convicting Chinedu and Hunkarin on charges linked to separate cocaine importation offences. Chinedu was handed a total of 22 years’ imprisonment without the option of a fine, while Hunkarin received a two-year sentence for conspiracy.

The case began in September 2015 when Chinedu was arraigned on a one-count charge, marked FHC/L/227C/2015, for unlawfully importing 6.250 kilogrammes of cocaine into Nigeria. Although he pleaded not guilty and was granted bail, he absconded during trial and remained a fugitive for nearly 10 years.

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) re-arrested Chinedu on 24 June 2025 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. Investigators said he was attempting to smuggle 800 grammes of cocaine into Nigeria aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa, after travelling from Turkey.

According to the NDLEA, Chinedu frequently transported clothing from Turkey to Nigeria and food items from Nigeria to Turkey. Investigators alleged that he collected the suitcase containing the cocaine during a stopover in Addis Ababa before proceeding to Lagos.

Further investigations identified Hunkarin, a former professional footballer who played for clubs in Brazil, as Chinedu’s accomplice. NDLEA operatives arrested him in the airport car park, where he had reportedly gone to collect the drug consignment.

In his statement, Hunkarin admitted trafficking drugs twice from Brazil to Ethiopia while pursuing his football career in South America.

The NDLEA subsequently charged both men under case number FHC/L/669C/2025 with the unlawful importation of 800 grammes of cocaine. During trial, prosecuting counsel, Adekunle Adebajo, reminded the court that Chinedu had earlier fled prosecution after being granted bail in 2015 and urged the court to impose penalties in line with the NDLEA Act.

Defence counsel, Benson Ndakara, representing Chinedu, and Emefo Etudo, representing Hunkarin, appealed for leniency, urging the court to consider fines instead of custodial sentences. However, after reviewing the evidence, legal authorities and exhibits, Justice Kakaki imposed prison terms without the option of fines.

Reacting to the judgment, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), described the convictions as a reaffirmation of the judiciary’s commitment to combating drug trafficking and ensuring offenders face justice, regardless of how long they evade arrest.

Marwa also commended NDLEA officers involved in the arrest, investigation and prosecution, noting that Chinedu’s re-arrest after nearly a decade on the run demonstrated the agency’s persistence and determination in tracking fugitives.

He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to working with the judiciary and other stakeholders to ensure that all those involved in drug trafficking are brought to justice, irrespective of their status or the time spent evading arrest.