Breaking: Nigerian Footballer George, One Other Bag 24 Years' Jail Term, Reason Emerges
- A fugitive drug convict, Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu, jumped bail in 2015 and evaded arrest for nearly 10 years before NDLEA caught him again
- Professional footballer Hunkarin Segun George was arrested at an airport car-park while allegedly waiting to collect a banned substance consignment from Chinedu
- Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court, Lagos, sentenced both men on Friday, July 24, 2026, without an option of fine
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering crime matters in Nigeria.
Ikeja, Lagos state - A Federal High Court in Lagos has jailed a fugitive drug trafficker and a professional footballer for a combined 24 years over the unlawful importation of banned substance into Nigeria.
Legit.ng reports that according to a statement issued on Monday, July 27, by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency's (NDLEA) director of media and advocacy, Femi Babafemi, Justice Musa Kakaki delivered the judgment on Friday, July 24, 2026.
Source: Twitter
The judge sentenced Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu to 22 years in prison and Hunkarin Segun George to two years, with no option of a fine for either convict.
How Chinedu evaded justice for years
Chinedu was first charged in September 2015 before Justice Salihu Saudi on a one-count charge for importing 6.250 kilograms of banned substance. He pleaded not guilty, was granted bail, and then vanished midway through his trial. He remained a fugitive for close to 10 years.
Operatives of the NDLEA eventually re-arrested him on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos. He had arrived on an inbound Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa carrying 800 grams of banned substance.
Investigators found he was a frequent traveller between Turkey and Nigeria, regularly transporting clothing and foodstuffs between the two countries.
Records reporetdly showed he had travelled from Turkey on that trip but stopped in Addis Ababa, where he collected a bag from an accomplice before continuing to Lagos.
Source: UGC
Footballer Hunkarin George arrested in airport carpark
While processing Chinedu's arrest, NDLEA officers established that someone was waiting for him in the airport carpark to receive the drugs. That person turned out to be Hunkarin Segun George, a professional footballer who had spent years playing for clubs in Brazil. Officers tracked and arrested him at the carpark before he could leave. In his statement, George admitted he had trafficked drugs on two occasions while in Brazil, transporting them from the South American country to Ethiopia.
Both men were subsequently charged on a three-count charge marked FHC/L/669C/2025 for the unlawful importation of the 800 grams of banned substance seized at the airport.
Prosecuting counsel Barrister Adekunle Adebajo walked the court through the full history of Chinedu's case, including his original 2015 arraignment and subsequent disappearance. He cited relevant provisions of the NDLEA Act in urging the court to impose appropriate sentences.
Counsel for the defence, Benson Ndakara representing Chinedu and Chief Emefo Etudo representing George, appealed for leniency and asked the court to consider fines in place of prison terms. Justice Kakaki rejected those appeals after reviewing all submissions, cited authorities, and tendered exhibits.
Chinedu received 20 years for the original 6.250-kilogram importation charge, plus an additional two years for conspiring with George to import the 800-gram consignment, bringing his total to 22 years. George, said to be about 30, received two years on the conspiracy count alone.
Read more on NDLEA
- NDLEA intercepts Saudi, UK-bound illicit drugs concealed in lipsticks
- NDLEA arrests Pretty Mike, 100 others in Lagos raid: “We met illicit substance with them”
NDLEA busts major drug network
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the NDLEA intensified its crackdown on illicit trade, raiding a Lagos hotel, intercepting international consignments concealed in food items, and apprehending a long-wanted drug kingpin.
During one of the operations, 60-year-old Okpara Chigozie, a major drug cartel leader who had evaded arrest since 2019, was captured.
Source: Legit.ng
