Wanted Drug Baron, Ex-Footballer Remanded For Alleged Drug Trafficking

The Federal High Court, Lagos Thursday has remanded a wanted drug baron, Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu, in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services NCoS for another drug trafficking offences.

Ntoruka, who jumped bail after his arraignment in 2015 for trafficking in 6.250 Kilograms of Cocaine, was remanded alongside a former footballer, Hunkarin Segun Judge, after they both pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge of conspiracy and trafficking in 800 grams of cocaine.

The two men were arraigned before Justice Musa Kakaki, by the operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in a charge marked FHC/L/669c/2025.

Arraigning the two defendants, the prosecutor, Barrister Adekunle Adebajo, told the Court that they were arrested in June 24, 2025, at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

The prosecutor further told the court that the defendants conspired among themselves to import the prohibited drug unlawfully.

Barrister Adebajo told the court that the wanted drug baron had unlawfully imported the drug, which was discovered during the inward clearance of Ethiopian Airline Flight from Addis-Ababa.

While he told the court the former footballer engaged himself in the distribution of the narcotic.

He told the court that the illegal acts of the defendants contravened sections 14(b); 11(a) and 20(1)(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004. And punishable under section 20(a) of the same Act.

Following the plea of not guilty, the prosecutor asked for a trial date, as well urged the court to remand them pending trial.

However, the wanted drug baron who was represented by Barrister Kate Igbo, while informed the court that she did not opposed to the trial date as requested by the prosecutor, however asked the court for a short date to file his client’s bail application.

But the counsel to the former footballer, Godwin U. Okaka, informed the court that he had filed his clients’ bail application and same has been served on the prosecutor.

The prosecutor confirmed being served with the application and said he had responded to same.

Upon reading through the processes filed by the counsel and the prosecutor, and after taking their arguments on the application, Justice Kakaki, refused the bail application for lacking in merit.

The judge consequently ordered that the two defendants be remanded in the NCos’ custody pending the determination of the charge.

The judge thereafter adjourned the matter to October 2, for hearing.

In the same vein, the rearraignment of the wanted drug baron, Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu, on his previous charge of trafficking in 6.250 Kilograms Cocaine, was stalled due to the absence of his lawyer, Chief Benson Ndakara.

He was to be rearraigned in a charge marked FHC/L/227c/2015, which he was formerly arraigned before Justice Saliu Seidu (now retired), in 2015.

The prosecutor informed the court that he disappeared into the thin air, after he was admitted to bail in the sum of N10 million with other conditions.

He also told the court that another judge, Justice Abimbola Awogboro (now sitting in another jurisdiction of the court) who inherited the case file had issued an arrest warrant against the defendant.

But due to the absence of his lawyer, the judge equally adjourned the matter to October 2, for rearraignment.

Charges against the two defendants read: ” That you Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu Male, Adult, Hunkarin Segun Judge, Male, Adult and BRIGHT Male, Adult, but presently at large on or about the 24″ day of June 2025 at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Lagos Within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court without lawful authority conspired together to import 800 grammes of cocaine, a narcotic drug and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 14(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

“That you Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu Male, Adult on or about the 24th day of June 2025, during the inward clearance of Ethiopian Airline Flight from Addis-Ababa at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Lagos within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court without lawful authority imported 800 grammes of cocaine a narcotic drug and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 11(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

“That you Hunkarin Segun Judge Male, Adult, on or about 24th day of June 2025, at Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court, without lawful authority engaged yourself in the distribution of 800 grams of cocaine, a narcotic drug, and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 20(1)(a) and punishable under Section 20(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

While the former charge against the wanted drug baron reads: “that you Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu, Male, Adult on or about the 3rd of April 2015, during the inward clearance of Ethiopian Airline flight at the Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos within the jurisdiction of the Honourable Court without lawful authority imported 6.250 Kilograms Cocaine, a narcotic drug and thereby committed an offence contrary to – punishable under Section 11(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.”