A former international footballer, Segun Hunkarin, and a fugitive drug kingpin, Ntoruka Chinedu, have been sentenced to a combined 24 years in prison by the Federal High Court in Lagos for importing cocaine into Nigeria.
Justice Musa Kakaki delivered the verdict after finding both men guilty of offences relating to the illegal importation of 7.05 kilograms of cocaine.
According to a statement released on Monday by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, Chinedu was initially arraigned in September 2015 over the smuggling of 6.25kg of cocaine. However, after being granted bail, he absconded and remained at large for nearly a decade.
Chinedu was finally re-arrested on June 24, 2025, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, as he attempted to bring another 800 grams of cocaine into Nigeria on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa. Investigations revealed that Chinedu had travelled from Turkey, transiting through Ethiopia, where he allegedly picked up the cocaine-laden luggage before arriving in Nigeria.
The NDLEA further disclosed that Hunkarin, who previously played professional football in Brazil, was apprehended at the airport car park as he waited to receive the drug consignment. In his statement to authorities, Hunkarin admitted to having trafficked drugs twice from Brazil to Ethiopia during his football career in South America.
Both men were subsequently charged with conspiracy and the unlawful importation of 800 grams of cocaine.
In his judgment on Friday, Justice Kakaki sentenced Chinedu to 20 years in prison without the option of a fine for the 2015 case, and an additional two years for conspiring with Hunkarin to import 800 grams of cocaine—totaling 22 years. Hunkarin received a two-year sentence for conspiracy, bringing the combined jail terms to 24 years.
During the trial, NDLEA prosecutor Adekunle Adebajo reminded the court that Chinedu had previously absconded after his initial arraignment in 2015. He urged the court to convict the defendants as stipulated by the NDLEA Act. Counsel for the defendants pleaded for leniency and requested fines instead of imprisonment, but the court denied the appeal.
Reacting to the judgment, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retired), hailed the conviction as a reaffirmation of the judiciary’s resolve to combat drug trafficking. Marwa praised the NDLEA’s diligence in tracking down fugitives, stating, “The eventual re-arrest of Chinedu after nearly 10 years on the run demonstrates the doggedness, patience, and thoroughness of NDLEA operatives in ensuring that no drug trafficker escapes justice.”
Marwa also commended the officers involved in the case, reiterating the agency’s commitment to collaborating with the judiciary and other stakeholders to ensure drug traffickers face the full weight of the law, regardless of their status or how long they evade arrest.
