Lagos court sentences ex-footballer and drug kingpin to 24 years in jail
A former footballer, Segun Hunkarin, and fugitive drug kingpin, Ntoruka Chinedu, have received a combined 24-year prison sentence for cocaine importation. Justice Musa Kakaki delivered the sentences after both men were found guilty of conspiracy and unlawful importation of cocaine. Chinedu was previously arraigned in 2015 but absconded and remained at large for nearly a decade before being re-arrested. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) highlighted the significance of the convictions in the fight against drug trafficking.
What happened
- Ntoruka Chinedu was re-arrested on June 24, 2025, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport while attempting to smuggle 800 grams of cocaine into Nigeria.
- Chinedu was first arraigned in September 2015 for importing 6.25kg of cocaine, but absconded after being granted bail.
- Segun Hunkarin, a former professional footballer, was arrested at the airport car park while waiting to receive the consignment.
- Justice Kakaki sentenced Chinedu to 22 years and Hunkarin to two years, totaling 24 years’ imprisonment.
- NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), praised the agency’s persistence in tracking down fugitives and reaffirmed their commitment to combating drug trafficking.
