The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has intercepted a Brazil-bound vessel, MV Nord Bosporus (IMO 9760110), with 20 kilogrammes of cocaine discovered at the Apapa seaport in Lagos.
According to the agency, the illicit substance was found on Sunday, November 16, 2025, concealed beneath the ship’s cargo. NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said in a statement on Friday that the vessel’s Master, Captain Quino Eugene Corpus, and 19 crew members—all Filipinos—were immediately taken into custody.
Babafemi said the agency subsequently applied for a court order to detain the vessel and crew while investigations continue. “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 read.
He added that preliminary findings indicated that the MV Nord Bosporus was visiting Nigeria and Africa for the first time, noting: “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.”
The interception comes six months after 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 on May 15, 2025, fined the crew and the vessel a total of $4.3 million.
NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (retd.), praised the Apapa Command and the Directorate of Seaport Operations for what he described as a demonstration of the agency’s enhanced capacity to secure Nigeria’s borders.
Marwa issued a strong warning to international drug cartels and their local collaborators, saying: “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 working with foreign drug syndicates, warning that they would face severe legal consequences.
