Ex-Footballer Sentenced to 24 Years for Cocaine Smuggling

Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu and Segun George Hunkarin were sentenced to a total of 24 years imprisonment by Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court in Lagos for cocaine smuggling. Chinedu, who had been on the run since 2015 after jumping bail, was arrested on June 24, 2025, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport while attempting to smuggle 800 grams of cocaine from Ethiopia.

He was previously arraigned for importing 6.25 kilograms of cocaine. Chinedu received a 20-year sentence for the 2015 importation and an additional two years for conspiracy, totaling 22 years.

Hunkarin, a former professional footballer, was sentenced to 2 years for conspiracy after admitting to previous drug trafficking. The court rejected pleas for non-custodial punishment.

NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen.

Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.) praised the judgment as a warning to drug traffickers and emphasized the agency's commitment to pursuing fugitives.