Nigeria Jails Former Footballer and Fugitive for 24 Years Over Cocaine Import
Lagos Court Sentences Drug Convicts to 24 Years Combined
Nigerian authorities have sentenced a former international footballer and a fugitive drug kingpin to a combined 24 years in prison for cocaine importation, while police in separate incidents arrested suspects in the mob killing of a University of Jos student and investigated the gun murder of a former local council security chief. A former international footballer, Segun Hunkarin, and a fugitive drug kingpin, Ntoruka Chinedu, have been sentenced to a combined 24 years’ imprisonment by the Federal High Court in Lagos for importing cocaine into Nigeria. [2] Justice Musa Kakaki handed down the sentences after finding the duo guilty of offences relating to the unlawful importation of 7.05 kilograms of cocaine. [2] Chinedu was first arraigned in September 2015 over the importation of 6.25kg of cocaine but absconded after being granted bail, remaining at large for nearly 10 years. [2] He was re-arrested on June 24, 2025, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, while attempting to smuggle another 800 grams of cocaine into the country aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa. [2]
Details of the Airport Interception and Prior Trafficking
Investigations revealed that Chinedu had travelled from Turkey and transited through Ethiopia, where he allegedly collected the cocaine-laden luggage before arriving in Nigeria. [2] Hunkarin, who had previously played professional football in Brazil, was arrested at the airport car park while waiting to receive the consignment. [2] Hunkarin admitted in his statement that he had trafficked drugs twice from Brazil to Ethiopia during his football career in South America. [2] 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 car park to collect the consignment from him. [2] Both men were subsequently arraigned on a three-count charge of conspiracy and unlawful importation of 800 grams of cocaine. [2] Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Kakaki sentenced Chinedu to 20 years’ imprisonment without an option of fine for the 2015 cocaine importation case and an additional two years for conspiring with Hunkarin to import the 800 grams of cocaine, bringing his total sentence to 22 years. [2] Hunkarin was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for conspiracy, bringing the combined jail terms to 24 years. [2] During the trial, NDLEA prosecutor Adekunle Adebajo reminded the court that Chinedu had earlier been arraigned before Justice Salihu Saudi in 2015 but jumped bail before the conclusion of his trial. [2] Counsel to the convicts pleaded for leniency and asked the court to impose fines instead of custodial sentences, but the court rejected the request. [2]
NDLEA Reaction and Praise for Judiciary
Reacting to the judgement, the NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the conviction as a reaffirmation of the judiciary’s commitment to combating drug trafficking. [2] Marwa said, “The eventual re-arrest of Chinedu after nearly 10 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.” [2] He also commended officers involved in the arrest, investigation, and prosecution of the case, reiterating the agency’s commitment to working with the judiciary and other stakeholders to ensure that drug traffickers are brought to justice regardless of their status or how long they evade arrest. [2]
Plateau Police Arrest Three in Student Mob Killing
In Plateau State, police arrested three suspects, including one captured on video, for beating 25-year-old student Ibrahim Mbaya to death over an unproven iPhone theft accusation instead of reporting it to authorities. [4] The Plateau State Police Command has arrested three suspects in connection with the killing of 25-year-old Ibrahim Mbaya, who allegedly died after he was assaulted by a mob over an accusation of theft in Jos. [4] The command disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday by its Police Public Relations Officer, SP Alfred Alabo, saying the suspects were arrested following an investigation into the incident. [4] Alabo said the police received a report at about 11:20 p.m. on July 26 from a Good Samaritan at the Jos University Teaching Hospital, informing officers that some youths had brought an unconscious man to the facility under suspicious circumstances. [4] Police operatives immediately responded to the report and identified the victim as Ibrahim Mbaya of Rayfield, Jos. [4] Unfortunately, he was confirmed dead on arrival by the medical doctor on duty. [4] His remains have been deposited at the hospital mortuary for preservation and autopsy. [4] Detectives commenced an investigation, which led to the arrest of Rinji Daniel Fwanji, 25; Emmanuel Newyear, 30; and Nensemka Fwanji, 22. [4] Preliminary investigation revealed that one of the suspects, Emmanuel Newyear, was captured in a viral video allegedly using a large wooden plank to assault the deceased and was also identified in photographs obtained during the investigation. [4] The suspects told investigators that the deceased was accused of stealing an iPhone 12 but, instead of reporting the allegation to law enforcement agencies, they allegedly attacked and beat him until he became unconscious. [4] The suspects have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Jos, where discreet investigation is ongoing. [4] Efforts have also been intensified to apprehend other fleeing suspects connected to the crime. [4] Upon conclusion of the investigation, the suspects will be charged to court accordingly. [4] Condemning the incident, the police spokesman stressed that no individual or group had the legal authority to assault or kill anyone suspected of committing an offence. [4] The Administration of Criminal Justice System provides lawful procedures for investigating and prosecuting criminal offences, and every suspect is entitled to due process under the law. [4] He urged members of the public to report cases of theft and other criminal activities to the nearest police station or other recognised security agencies, warning that resorting to self-help and mob action undermined the rule of law and exposed perpetrators to criminal prosecution. [4]
NANS Condemns Killing of UniJos Student
The National Association of Nigerian Students has condemned the alleged mob killing of Ibrahim Mbaye, a student of the University of Jos, who was reportedly beaten to death over allegations of stealing an iPhone. [5] In a statement issued on Monday, the National President of NANS, Akinteye Babatunde, described the incident as “heartbreaking,” stressing that no allegation justified mob violence or extrajudicial punishment. [5] Babatunde alleged that Mbaye was “brutally assaulted by a group of individuals, humiliated, and locked inside a room,” adding that the allegedly stolen phone was never recovered from him. [5] “It is deeply heartbreaking that a promising young student had to lose his life in such a cruel and senseless manner. No allegation, regardless of its nature, justifies mob violence or extrajudicial punishment,” he said. [5] He welcomed reports that some suspects had been arrested in connection with the incident. [5] “I am, however, encouraged by reports that some of the suspects have been arrested. We have repeatedly warned against taking the law into our own hands. Such acts have no place in our campuses or society and must be condemned by every student and every well-meaning Nigerian,” Babatunde added. [5] The NANS president extended his condolences to Mbaya’s family, friends and the University of Jos community, praying for the strength to bear the loss. [5] He also called on relevant security agencies to conduct a thorough, impartial and swift investigation into the incident and ensure that everyone responsible was brought to justice. [5] “Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done, as this will serve as a deterrent to anyone who believes violence is an alternative to due process. No student should ever lose their life to jungle justice,” he said. [5]
Gunmen Kill Ex-Council Security Chief in Rivers
In Rivers State, gunmen killed former Khana Local Government Area Chief Security Officer Letam Kine in Bori, causing panic; the local chairman condemned it as the work of armed criminal gangs and called for intensified security operations. [3] Bori, the headquarters of Khana Local Government Area in Rivers State, has been thrown into panic after gunmen shot and killed a former Chief Security Officer of the council identified as Letam Kine on Sunday evening. [3] The incident occurred along Polytechnic Road in Bori, as some alleged that the assailants may have been suspected cultists. [3] The assailants rained bullets on their target and fled immediately afterwards into nearby bushes. [3] An eyewitness told our correspondent on Monday morning that the attack caused panic in the area as residents and passers-by fled for safety after the initial sound of gunshots before the lifeless body of the victim was discovered. [3] As a result of the incident, social and business activities were immediately halted, with shop owners closing hurriedly. [3] As of Monday morning, though activities have resumed unlike the previous night, people, especially students, are still afraid over the killing, which many said was done by cultists. [3] Reacting to the incident, the chairman of Khana Local Government Area, Dr Thomas Bariere, condemned the killing, describing it as a senseless act of violence. [3] Dr Bariere, in a statement issued on Sunday by the Director of Press and Public Communications in Khana LGA, Barry Neemana, described Kine’s murder as heartbreaking, stressing that such criminality has no place in a law-abiding society. [3] He expressed concern that the incident came a few weeks after a similar killing in a nearby community, noting that the repeated attacks suggested the activities of armed criminal gangs determined to undermine the peace and security of Khana. [3] The statement reads, “The Executive Chairman of Khana Local Government Area, Thomas Bariere, has strongly condemned the brutal killing of Mr Letam Kine, also known as Langa, by yet-to-be-identified gunmen. This is a heartbreaking and senseless act of violence. Such criminality has no place in a peaceful and law-abiding society.” [3] He expressed deep concern that the killing comes barely weeks after the tragic murder of Clement Deegbara J. of Kpong Community, noting that the repeated attacks point to the activities of armed criminal gangs determined to undermine the peace and security of Khana. [3] Dr Bariere called on all security agencies to intensify their operations across the local government area and ensure that those behind these heinous crimes are swiftly brought to justice. [3] He urged law enforcement authorities to carry out a thorough investigation into the murder of Mr Letam Kine, arrest everyone connected to the crime, and ensure they face the full weight of the law. [3] When contacted, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Blessing Agabe, confirmed the incident to our correspondent on Monday morning, saying the body of the deceased had been deposited in the morgue. [3] Agabe added, “Yes, I can confirm the incident. Our men are there, and patrols are ongoing within the area, and the investigation is on to ensure the arrest of the perpetrators.” [3]
What to watch next: Police in Rivers State continue patrols and investigation to arrest perpetrators of the killing of Letam Kine, while in Plateau State discreet investigation remains ongoing with efforts to apprehend other fleeing suspects in the mob attack on Ibrahim Mbaya.
