A fugitive drug kingpin, Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu, and former international footballer, Segun George Hunkarin, have been sentenced to a combined 24 years in prison for importing cocaine into Nigeria.

According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, Chinedu was initially arraigned in 2015 for importing 6.25kg of cocaine but jumped bail and remained on the run for nearly a decade. He was re-arrested on June 24, 2025, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while attempting to smuggle 800 grams of cocaine into the country.

Investigations revealed that Chinedu collected the drug consignment during a stopover in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, before arriving in Nigeria. Former footballer Hunkarin was arrested at the airport car park while waiting to receive the drugs. He later admitted to previously trafficking drugs twice from Brazil to Ethiopia during his football career.

The duo was convicted on charges related to the 800-gram cocaine importation, with Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court, Lagos, sentencing them to a combined 24 years imprisonment without the option of a fine.