A Federal High Court in Lagos has handed down a combined 24-year prison sentence to a fugitive drug kingpin and a former professional footballer after finding them guilty of cocaine trafficking, marking the end of a case that stretched across nearly a decade.
Justice Musa Kakaki sentenced Ntoruka Chinedu to 22 years in prison and former footballer Segun Hunkarin to two years for their involvement in separate but connected cocaine importation offences. The judgment follows years of investigation by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), which described the ruling as a clear warning that no drug trafficker can permanently evade justice.
Chinedu’s legal troubles began in 2015 when he was arraigned for importing 6.250 kilogrammes of cocaine into Nigeria. After pleading not guilty, he secured bail but fled while his trial was still ongoing. He remained on the run for almost 10 years before NDLEA operatives tracked him down.
His escape came to an end on June 24, 2025, when he was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. Investigators said he had arrived on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa carrying 800 grammes of cocaine concealed after collecting the illicit consignment during a stopover in Ethiopia.
According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, investigations revealed that Chinedu frequently travelled between Turkey and Nigeria as a clothing trader, using his international movements as cover. Surveillance conducted after his arrest led officers to Hunkarin, who was waiting in the airport car park to receive the drug shipment.
During questioning, Hunkarin reportedly admitted he had previously trafficked drugs on two occasions from Brazil to Ethiopia while pursuing his football career in South America. The admission became part of the evidence presented during the trial.
Delivering judgment, Justice Kakaki sentenced Chinedu to 20 years imprisonment without the option of a fine for the 2015 cocaine importation offence. He also received an additional two-year sentence for conspiring with Hunkarin to import the 800 grammes of cocaine in 2025. Hunkarin was sentenced to two years imprisonment on the conspiracy charge. The court dismissed requests by defence lawyers to replace the prison terms with fines, ruling that the gravity of the offences justified custodial sentences.
Reacting to the verdict, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the judgment as evidence that drug traffickers cannot outrun the law. He said the successful re-arrest of Chinedu after almost a decade demonstrated the agency’s determination, patience and intelligence-driven operations. Marwa also commended the judiciary and the officers who handled the investigation and prosecution, reaffirming the agency’s commitment to pursuing drug traffickers across borders regardless of their status, profession or how long they remain in hiding.
