Business

Fugitive Drug Lord and Ex-Footballer Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison for Cocaine Trafficking

Published

2 months ago

July 27, 2026

A fugitive drug kingpin, Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu, and an ex-international football player, Hunkarin Segun 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 was first arraigned in September 2015 on a one-count charge marked FHC/L/227c/2015 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.

He was a frequent flyer known for conveying clothes from Turkey to Nigeria and foodstuffs from Nigeria to Turkey.

Investigation showed that the convict was coming from Turkey on Ethiopian Airlines flight but transited through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he collected the luggage from another person before heading to Nigeria. Further checks revealed that an accomplice who turned out to be a former professional footballer, Segun George Hunkarin, was waiting for Chinedu at the airport carpark to collect the consignment from him. Hunkarin who had stayed years in Brazil playing for football clubs was promptly tracked and arrested at the carpark.

In his statement, Hunkarin claimed that while playing professional football in the South American country, he had only trafficked drugs twice from Brazil to Ethiopia.

Both Chinedu and Hunkarin were subsequently arraigned on a three-count charge marked FHC/L/669C/2025 for unlawful importation of 800grams of cocaine. Delivering judgment on Friday 24th July 2026, 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.
Reviewing the facts of the case, prosecuting counsel, Barrister Adekunle Adebajo, reminded the court that Chinedu had earlier been arraigned before Justice Salihu Saudi (now retired) in 2015 on the same importation charge but vanished after being granted bail. Citing a plethora of legal authorities, the NDLEA prosecutor urged the court to sentence the convicts in line with the relevant provisions of the NDLEA Act.
Defence counsel, Chief Benson Ndakara for Chinedu and Chief Emefo Etudo for Hunkarin, had pleaded with the court for leniency and urged that fine options be considered in lieu of custodial sentences. The court, however, after a careful review of the submissions, cited authorities and tendered exhibits, sentenced both convicts to prison terms without any option of fine.
Reacting to the conviction, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the judiciary for the judgment, describing it as a reaffirmation of the courts’ commitment to ridding the country of drug trafficking and those who perpetrate it, no matter how long they evade justice.
Marwa also commended the officers, men and women of the Agency involved in the arrest, investigation and prosecution of the case, noting that the eventual re-arrest of Chinedu after nearly ten years on the run demonstrated the doggedness, patience and thoroughness of NDLEA operatives in tracking down fugitives and ensuring that no drug trafficker escapes the long arm of the law.
He restated the Agency’s resolve to continue 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.

The post Fugitive Drug Lord and Ex-Footballer Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison for Cocaine Trafficking appeared first on Business Today NG.

Related Topics:cocaine Drug ExFootballer Fugitive Lord prison Sentenced trafficking years

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NGX Group, Nairobi Securities Exchange Deepen Ties on Dangote Refinery IPO Push

Published

2 hours ago

September 29, 2026

PlateauReports

Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX Group) and the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) have advanced efforts to deepen cross-border collaboration, as Nigerian and Kenyan market stakeholders met in Nairobi on Tuesday to explore opportunities to strengthen connections between the two markets and across Africa.

Speaking at Dangote Petroleum Refinery IPO High-Level Investor Engagement hosted by the NSE, Aliko Dangote, President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, lauded Umaru Kwairanga, Group Chairman of NGX Group, and Temi Popoola, Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, for their role in advancing collaboration among African capital-market institutions.

Dangote said stronger collaboration among African exchanges could create opportunities for companies to access capital across multiple African markets, rather than limiting their capital-market presence to their home countries.

He cited the planned Dangote refinery in Mokowe – Lamu as an example of the opportunities that could emerge from stronger integration, suggesting that companies with operations across the continent should be able to consider listings in more than one African market.

The Nairobi engagement builds on a strategic meeting convened by NGX Group in Lagos in April, which brought together leaders of major African exchanges to discuss cross-border market connectivity and opportunities to strengthen collaboration among African capital markets.

For Popoola, the significance of the engagement extends beyond any single transaction.

“When we began this engagement, our objective was continental: to bring African exchanges together and explore how we can create stronger connections between African capital markets,” Popoola said.

“Kenya represents an important first step in translating that ambition into practical collaboration. We see this engagement with the Nairobi Securities Exchange as a model that can be strengthened and potentially replicated across other markets on the continent.”

While the Dangote Petroleum Refinery offer provides a practical context for the collaboration, the broader objective is to strengthen relationships between African markets and facilitate greater cross-border access to capital-market opportunities.

The initiative also aligns with wider continental efforts, including the African Exchanges Linkage Project (AELP), to strengthen connectivity and facilitate cross-border trading and investment among African exchanges.

The broader significance of the Nigeria–Kenya engagement comes into sharper focus with the planned groundbreaking of Dangote’s proposed 700,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Lamu. The project, which is intended to serve the East African market, reflects the scale of cross-border business and investment opportunities emerging across the continent.

Popoola said the ambition was to build on the Kenya engagement and develop a model for broader cooperation across the continent.

“We see the work with Kenya as a prototype for how African markets can support greater connectivity among themselves. This is an important step towards facilitating cross-border access to capital-market opportunities, with the potential to scale across West Africa and the wider continent,” he said.

Frank Mwiti, Chief Executive Officer of the Nairobi Securities Exchange, also commended NGX Group for its role in facilitating the engagement. He noted that stronger collaboration among African exchanges could deepen relationships between markets, promote the sharing of expertise and create greater opportunities for investors and issuers across the continent.

The post NGX Group, Nairobi Securities Exchange Deepen Ties on Dangote Refinery IPO Push appeared first on Business Today NG.

Business

Tinubu says 21 MSME hubs support 650,000 jobs across Nigeria

Published

10 hours ago

September 29, 2026

PlateauReports

President Bola Tinubu has said 21 shared facilities established across 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory are supporting businesses and an estimated 650,000 jobs.

The facilities, established under the Federal Government’s National MSME Clinics initiative, provide entrepreneurs with access to equipment, electricity and production infrastructure without requiring them to bear the full cost of setting up such facilities themselves.

President Tinubu disclosed this in a statement on Monday while highlighting the government’s efforts to address infrastructure and equipment challenges facing micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

According to the President, many small businesses have the skills and ideas to expand but struggle to access the equipment and infrastructure needed to increase production.

He said the shared MSME hubs were designed to reduce some of those barriers by allowing entrepreneurs to use modern production facilities without making large upfront investments.

He cited tailors and food processors as examples of businesses that could benefit from the model.

“A tailor should not need millions of naira to buy industrial machinery before she can grow her business. A food processor should not have to build a factory before producing at scale,” he said.

The President said access to shared facilities could allow businesses to increase production while reducing their operating costs.

“When small businesses can produce more, at lower cost, they become more competitive. They grow. They employ more people. They create income and opportunity for Nigerian families.”

MSME support

The initiative comes as the Federal Government expands programmes aimed at improving access to finance, equipment, skills and markets for small businesses.

READ ALSO: Sowore’s AAC sues Tinubu, others over failure to transfer power to Shettima

The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), which implements several government MSME support programmes, has previously identified access to finance, infrastructure and markets among the challenges confronting small businesses.

The government has also introduced other interventions aimed at improving access to credit. These include the National Credit Guarantee Company (NCGC), which provides guarantees to encourage financial institutions to lend to businesses and other eligible borrowers.

President Tinubu noted that the government’s approach was focused on removing barriers that prevent entrepreneurs from turning their skills and ideas into sustainable businesses.

“Our job is to remove those barriers,” he said.

He added that strengthening small businesses would help create employment, increase household incomes and expand economic activity.

“Giving Nigerian enterprise the tools to succeed is how we build prosperity from the ground up,” President Tinubu said.