TWENTY TWO YEARS FOR THE DRUG SMUGGLING KING PIN AND TWO FOR THE EX INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALLER
A fugitive drug kingpin, Ntoruka Chinedu, and his accomplice ex-international football player, Hunkarin George have been convicted and sentenced to a combined total of 24 years imprisonment by Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court, Lagos, for unlawful importation of 7.050 kilograms of cocaine into Nigeria.
Chinedu, who has proven to be a hardened criminal was first arraigned in September 2015 on a one-count charge for unlawfully importing 6.250 kilograms of cocaine.
He pleaded not guilty and was admitted to bail, but jumped bail midway into trial and remained at large for nearly 10 years. He was eventually re-arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Tuesday 24th June 2025, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, while attempting to smuggle 800 grams of cocaine on an inbound Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa.
Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Kakaki sentenced Chinedu to 20 years imprisonment without an option of fine for the unlawful importation of 6.250 kilograms of cocaine, and a further two years, also without an option of fine, for conspiring with Hunkarin to unlawfully import 800 grams of cocaine, bringing his total sentence to 22 years. Hunkarin was sentenced to two years imprisonment on the conspiracy charge, bringing the combined jail terms to 24 years imprisonment.
