National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has seized a Brazil-bound ship after officers uncovered 20 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed beneath its cargo at Apapa port in Lagos.
Gatekeepers News reports that according to a statement on Friday by the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, the vessel; MV Nord Bosporus (registration number 9760110) sailed in from Santos, Brazil, before the discovery was made on Sunday, November 16, 2025.
He said the ship’s master, Captain Quino Eugene Corpus, and 19 other Filipino crew members were immediately detained for questioning.
Babafemi explained that the agency approached the Federal High Court in Lagos with an ex parte application seeking approval to retain the vessel and its crew in custody.
He said, “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 spokesman added that early findings showed the MV Nord Bosporus had never previously docked in Nigeria or any African country.
He said, “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.”
This arrest comes months after the conviction of 10 Thai sailors on the MV Chayanee Naree, who were fined $4.3 million on May 15, 2025, for attempting to transport 32.9 kilogrammes of cocaine from Brazil through the same port.
NDLEA chairman Buba Marwa praised the officers involved, describing the seizure as evidence of the agency’s strengthened capability and its resolve to protect the country’s entry points.
He said, “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 cautioned Nigerians assisting foreign drug traffickers that they risk severe punishment.
The agency highlighted its broader operations, recalling that between January 2023 and March 2024, a total of 207,976 kilogrammes of illicit drugs were seized across Nigerian seaports. Babafemi added that in the first quarter of 2024, officers arrested 14 suspects with 16.69kg of cocaine and 11,622.229kg of cannabis sativa, while another 167 people were apprehended with 196,336.99kg of assorted drugs between January and October 2023.
