Ex-Footballer, Drug Kingpin Jailed 24 Years for Cocaine Importation

Ex-Footballer, Drug Kingpin Jailed 24 Years for Cocaine Importation
Hunkarin admitted during interrogation that he had trafficked drugs on two occasions from Brazil to Ethiopia while pursuing his football career in South America
Marwa said Chinedu’s re-arrest after nearly 10 years on the run underscored the determination, patience and professionalism of NDLEA operatives

A former international footballer, Segun Hunkarin, and a fugitive drug trafficker, Ntoruka Chinedu, have been sentenced to a combined 24 years’ imprisonment by the Federal High Court in Lagos for importing cocaine into Nigeria.

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Eko Hot Blog reports that Justice Musa Kakaki handed down the sentences after convicting the duo on charges bordering on conspiracy and the unlawful importation of cocaine.

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According to a statement issued on Monday by the spokesman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Femi Babafemi, Chinedu was initially arraigned in September 2015 for importing 6.25 kilograms of cocaine but absconded after being granted bail, remaining a fugitive for almost a decade.

The agency said he was re-arrested on June 24, 2025, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, while attempting to smuggle another 800 grams of cocaine into Nigeria aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Investigations by the NDLEA revealed that Chinedu had travelled from Turkey and transited through Addis Ababa, where he allegedly collected the cocaine-laden luggage before continuing his journey to Nigeria.

The agency further disclosed that Hunkarin, a former professional footballer who played in Brazil, was arrested at the airport car park while waiting to receive the illicit consignment.

According to the NDLEA, Hunkarin admitted during interrogation that he had trafficked drugs on two occasions from Brazil to Ethiopia while pursuing his football career in South America.

Both men were subsequently arraigned on a three-count charge of conspiracy and unlawful importation of 800 grams of cocaine.

Ex-Footballer, Drug Kingpin Jailed 24 Years for Cocaine Importation

Delivering judgment, Justice Kakaki sentenced Chinedu to 20 years’ imprisonment without an option of fine for the 2015 cocaine importation case and an additional two years for conspiring with Hunkarin to import the 800 grams of cocaine, bringing his total jail term to 22 years.

Hunkarin was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for conspiracy, bringing the combined sentence for both convicts to 24 years.

During the trial, NDLEA prosecutor Adekunle Adebajo reminded the court that Chinedu had jumped bail after his 2015 arraignment and urged the court to convict both defendants in accordance with the provisions of the NDLEA Act.

Counsel to the convicts pleaded with the court to impose fines instead of custodial sentences, but the request was declined.

Reacting to the judgment, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the conviction as a demonstration of the judiciary’s commitment to the fight against illicit drug trafficking.

Marwa said Chinedu’s re-arrest after nearly 10 years on the run underscored the determination, patience and professionalism of NDLEA operatives in tracking down fugitives.

He also commended officers involved in the arrest, investigation and prosecution of the case, reaffirming the agency’s commitment to ensuring that drug traffickers face justice regardless of how long they evade law enforcement.