Fugitive drug kingpin Ntoruka Chinedu and former international football player Hunkarin George have been sentenced to a combined 24 years’ imprisonment for drug trafficking.
They were convicted of importing 7.050 kg of cocaine into Nigeria by the Federal High Court, Lagos Division.
The chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Buba Marwa, reaffirmed the agency’s resolve to ensure that no drug trafficker escapes justice, irrespective of their status.
In a statement issued on Monday in Abuja by the NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, Mr Marwa described the judgment as a reaffirmation of the judiciary’s commitment to ridding the country of drug trafficking and ensuring perpetrators are brought to justice, no matter how long they evade the law.
Mr Babafemi said Mr Chinedu was sentenced to 22 years’ imprisonment without an option of a fine, while Mr Hunkarin bagged a two-year jail term for conspiracy, bringing their combined prison terms to 24 years.
Mr Chinedu was first arraigned in September 2015 on a one-count charge marked FHC/L/227C/2015 for unlawfully importing 6.250 kg of cocaine into the country.
He pleaded not guilty and was admitted to bail but absconded midway through the trial, remaining at large for nearly 10 years.
The fugitive drug kingpin was eventually rearrested by NDLEA operatives on June 24, 2025, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, while attempting to smuggle 800 grammes of cocaine on an inbound Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
According to Mr Babafemi, investigations revealed that Mr Chinedu, a frequent flyer known for conveying clothes from Turkey to Nigeria and foodstuffs from Nigeria to Turkey, had travelled from Turkey and transited through Addis Ababa.
”This is where he collected the luggage containing the illicit drug from another person before heading to Nigeria.
”Further checks showed that Hunkarin was waiting at the airport car park to receive the cocaine consignment from Chinedu.
”Hunkarin, who had spent years playing professional football for clubs in Brazil, admitted in his statement that he had trafficked illicit drugs twice from Brazil to Ethiopia during his football career in South America,” he said.
Both men were subsequently arraigned on a three-count charge marked FHC/L/669C/2025 for the unlawful importation of 800 grammes of cocaine.
Mr Marwa commended the officers and men of the agency involved in the arrest, investigation and prosecution of the case.
He noted that Mr Chinedu’s eventual rearrest after nearly a decade on the run demonstrated the doggedness, patience and thoroughness of NDLEA operatives in tracking down fugitives.
He reiterated the agency’s commitment to working closely with the judiciary and other stakeholders to ensure that persons involved in drug trafficking, regardless of their status or how long they attempt to evade justice, are brought to book.
(NAN)
