The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recorded a major legal victory following the conviction and sentencing of fugitive drug kingpin, Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu, and former international footballer, Hunkarin Segun George, to a combined 24 years imprisonment for cocaine importation.
According to an official statement signed by the Director of Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court, Lagos, convicted the duo over the unlawful importation of 7.050 kilograms of cocaine into Nigeria, bringing to a close a decade-long pursuit of one of the agency’s wanted drug traffickers.
The statement said Chinedu was first arraigned in September 2015 on a one-count charge of importing 6.250 kilograms of cocaine but absconded after being granted bail, remaining on the run for nearly 10 years.
His escape ended on June 24, 2025, when NDLEA operatives rearrested him at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, while attempting to smuggle another 800 grams of cocaine into the country aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa.
Investigations revealed that Chinedu had travelled from Turkey and transited through Ethiopia, where he collected the cocaine consignment before flying to Nigeria. Intelligence further led to the arrest of Hunkarin, a former professional footballer who had played in Brazil, while waiting at the airport car park to receive the illicit cargo.
The agency said Hunkarin admitted during interrogation that he had previously trafficked drugs twice from Brazil to Ethiopia during his football career.
Both men were subsequently arraigned on a three-count charge for conspiracy and unlawful importation of 800 grams of cocaine.
In his judgment delivered on July 24, 2026, Justice Kakaki sentenced Chinedu to 20 years imprisonment without the option of fine for the 2015 cocaine importation offence and an additional two years, also without the option of fine, for conspiring 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 terms to 24 years.
Reacting to the judgment, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), described the conviction as a significant victory in the agency’s sustained campaign against illicit drug trafficking.
Marwa commended the judiciary for reaffirming its commitment to ensuring that drug traffickers are brought to justice, irrespective of how long they evade arrest.
He also praised the officers and men of the agency involved in the investigation and prosecution, noting that Chinedu’s rearrest after almost a decade on the run underscored the determination, patience and professionalism of NDLEA operatives in tracking fugitives.
The NDLEA boss reaffirmed the agency’s resolve to continue working closely with the judiciary and other stakeholders to ensure that all persons involved in drug trafficking, regardless of their status or the length of time spent evading justice, are brought to book.
