Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have intercepted a Brazil-bound vessel, MV Nord Bosporus (IMO 9760110), carrying 20 kilogrammes of cocaine at the Apapa seaport in Lagos.
The narcotic was discovered on Sunday, November 16, 2025, hidden beneath the ship’s cargo.
In a statement released on Friday, the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said the NDLEA subsequently detained the vessel’s Master, Captain Quino Eugene Corpus, along with 19 crew members, all Filipinos.
Babafemi explained that after the arrest, the NDLEA obtained a court order to hold the vessel and crew for further investigation.
“The motion ex parte in suit number FHC/L/MISC/1306/25 was argued before Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court, Lagos, who on Thursday, 20th November 2025, granted the application for an initial 14-day detention of the vessel, Capt. Corpus and 19 other Filipino crew members,” the statement added.
According to him, preliminary findings indicated that the MV Nord Bosporus was visiting Nigeria and Africa for the first time.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that this was the first time the vessel was coming to Nigeria and Africa, as it’s been largely transporting coal between Colombia and Brazil, while Captain Corpus has been barely three months with the ship,” he said.
This interception follows a similar case six months ago when 10 Thai sailors aboard the MV Chayanee Naree were convicted for attempting to bring 32.9 kilogrammes of cocaine from Brazil into Nigeria through the same port. The Federal High Court in Lagos had fined the sailors and the vessel $4.3 million on May 15, 2025.
The NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (retd.), praised the Apapa Command and the Directorate of Seaport Operations for the seizure, describing the operation as evidence of the agency’s strengthened capacity to secure Nigeria’s borders.
Marwa stated, “Let this be an unambiguous message to every international drug cartel and every internal collaborator: Nigeria is not, and will never be, your space or your foothold. The NDLEA is operating with zero tolerance, and we will not permit any illicit drug to pass through our borders, whether by air, land, or sea.
“You may scheme, you may attempt sophisticated concealment, but you will fail. Our intelligence network, collaboration with international partners, and the dedication of our officers are steps ahead of your nefarious activities.”
He also warned Nigerians collaborating with foreign drug syndicates that they would face severe legal consequences.
In June 2024, reports state that the NDLEA had intercepted and seized 207,976 kilograms of hard drugs between January 2023 and March 2024 at various seaports in the country.
Babafemi noted that in the first quarter of 2024, 14 suspects were arrested with 16.69kg of cocaine and 11,622.229kg of cannabis sativa, while 167 persons were arrested with 196,336.99kg of various drugs from January to October 2023.