The Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced a fugitive drug trafficker, Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu, to a total of 22 years imprisonment for the unlawful importation of 7.050 kilograms of cocaine into Nigeria.
Justice Musa Kakaki delivered the judgment on Friday after the defendant pleaded guilty to charges filed against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The court also convicted Chinedu’s accomplice, Hunkarin Segun George, a former international footballer, sentencing him to two years imprisonment for conspiring to import 800 grams of cocaine into the country.
Drug Baron Re-Arrested After Jumping Bail
According to court records, Chinedu was initially arraigned in 2015 in Charge No. FHC/L/227C/2015 for the unlawful importation of 6.250 kilograms of cocaine. After pleading not guilty, he was granted bail while his trial continued.
However, he absconded midway through the proceedings and remained at large for nearly a decade.
His escape ended on June 24, 2025, when operatives of the NDLEA arrested him at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, during the arrival clearance of an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa. He was found in possession of an additional 800 grams of cocaine.
Following his arrest, Chinedu was re-arraigned alongside George on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and unlawful importation of cocaine.
Defendants Changed Plea
At the resumed hearing, defence counsel Chief Benson Ndakara, representing Chinedu, and Chief Emefo Etudo, representing George, informed the court that their clients wished to change their pleas from not guilty to guilty.
The court accepted the new pleas before the prosecution, led by Barrister Adekunle Adebajo, reviewed the facts of the case.
Adebajo reminded the court that Chinedu had previously been prosecuted before Justice Salihu Saidu (now retired) for importing 6.250 kilograms of cocaine, but fled after securing bail.
The prosecutor urged the court to impose the appropriate punishment under the provisions of the NDLEA Act, citing relevant legal authorities in support of his application.
Court Rejects Plea for Leniency
Although defence counsel appealed for mercy and urged the court to impose fines instead of custodial sentences, Justice Kakaki declined the request.
In his judgment, the judge held that the prosecution had established the offences and that the defendants had voluntarily admitted their guilt.
Chinedu was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment without the option of a fine for the unlawful importation of 6.250 kilograms of cocaine. He also received an additional two-year prison term for conspiracy and the unlawful importation of 800 grams of cocaine.
His co-convict, George, was sentenced to two years imprisonment without the option of a fine for his role in the conspiracy.
The judgment brings to a close a criminal case that began in 2015 before being prolonged by the principal defendant’s decision to abscond while on bail.
