The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested 20 Filipino crew members after intercepting 20 kilogrammes of cocaine aboard the vessel MV Nord Bosporus at the Apapa seaport in Lagos. The ship had sailed in from the port of Santos, Brazil.
Gatekeepers News reports that according to the NDLEA, the cocaine was discovered on Sunday, 16 November 2025. The Master of the vessel, Captain Quino Eugene Corpus, and 19 other crew members were subsequently arrested and arraigned before the Federal High Court in Lagos.
The agency further disclosed that on Thursday, 20 November, Justice Musa Kakaki granted an initial 14-day detention order for both the vessel and its crew to enable deeper investigations. Preliminary findings suggest that this was the ship’s first voyage to Nigeria or any African country, having previously operated primarily between Colombia and Brazil transporting coal. Captain Corpus is reported to have been on board for roughly three months.
The NDLEA drew parallels to a similar incident in 2021 in which 10 Thai sailors aboard MV Chayanee Naree were arrested for trafficking 32.9 kilogrammes of cocaine from Brazil. According to The Guardian, those sailors and nine Nigerian accomplices were later convicted and fined $4.3 million by the Federal High Court in Lagos.
In a statement, NDLEA Chairman Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) commended officers at the Apapa Strategic Command and the Directorate of Seaport Operations for their alertness.
“The cocaine seizure is not just an operational success but a clear demonstration of our heightened capacity and unwavering resolve,” he said.
Marwa also issued a stern warning to both foreign and local actors in global drug networks, stressing that Nigeria will not tolerate the trafficking of illicit substances.
“Nigeria is not, and will never be, your space or your foothold. The NDLEA operates with zero tolerance and will not permit any illicit drug to pass through our borders, whether by air, land, or sea,” he declared.
He cautioned Nigerians who collaborate with foreign drug syndicates, emphasising that such actions amount to a betrayal of national trust.
“You are not just committing a crime; you are betraying your nation’s future. The consequences of aiding and abetting drug trafficking will be severe and unrelenting. We are committed to using the full force of the law to dismantle structures, seize illicit assets, and secure long-term incarceration,” he added.
230 Arrested in Kano
In a related development, the NDLEA in Kano has taken no fewer than 230 suspects into custody following a major crackdown on illicit drug peddlers across identified hotspots.
The operation, which lasted 30 days, resulted in the seizure of significant quantities of illegal substances and weapons. Briefing journalists on Friday, Commander of the NDLEA Kano Strategic Command, Abubakar Idris Ahmad, said the raids were conducted in collaboration with several security agencies.
According to him, the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), and the Department of State Services (DSS) all participated under the Kano State Joint Taskforce for Peace Restoration and Youth Rehabilitation.
