A former Nigerian international footballer, Hunkarin Segun George, has been sentenced to two years imprisonment for conspiracy to unlawfully import cocaine into Nigeria.
Fugitive drug kingpin Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu received a 22-year jail term after being convicted on multiple cocaine importation charges.
Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court in Lagos delivered the judgment on Friday, July 24, 2026, handing the two convicts a combined prison sentence of 24 years over the unlawful importation of 7.05 kilograms of cocaine.
According to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Chinedu was first arraigned in September 2015 on a one-count charge for importing 6.25 kilograms of cocaine.
Although he pleaded not guilty and was granted bail, he absconded during the trial and remained on the run for almost a decade.
The agency said Chinedu was eventually re-arrested on June 24, 2025, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, while attempting to smuggle another 800 grams of cocaine into Nigeria aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa.
Investigations revealed that Chinedu had travelled from Turkey, transited through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he collected the illicit consignment before continuing his journey to Nigeria.
Further investigations led NDLEA operatives to former professional footballer Hunkarin Segun George, who was reportedly waiting at the airport car park to receive the drugs.
The agency stated that Hunkarin, who spent several years playing professional football in Brazil, was arrested shortly after Chinedu’s interception.
According to the NDLEA, Hunkarin admitted in his statement that he had trafficked drugs twice from Brazil to Ethiopia during his playing career.
Following their arrest, both men were arraigned on a three-count charge relating to the unlawful importation of 800 grams of cocaine.
In his ruling, Justice Kakaki sentenced Chinedu to 20 years imprisonment without the option of a fine for the 2015 cocaine importation case.
He received an additional two-year sentence, also without the option of a fine, for conspiring with Hunkarin to import 800 grams of cocaine, bringing his total sentence to 22 years.
Hunkarin was sentenced to two years imprisonment without the option of a fine on the conspiracy charge.
Reacting to the verdict, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the judiciary for the conviction, describing it as a strong signal of the courts’ commitment to combating drug trafficking.
He also commended NDLEA officers for their persistence in tracking down Chinedu after nearly 10 years as a fugitive, reaffirming the agency’s resolve to ensure that drug traffickers are brought to justice regardless of their status.
