NDLEA Detains Ship, 20 Filipino Crew Over Cocaine Shipment from Brazil

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has intercepted a cocaine shipment from Brazil, weighing thirty-two-point-nine kilograms, and also detained the ship involved, together with its crew of twenty Philippines nationals. This comes about a week after NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, retired Brigadier General MOHAMED BUBA MARWA, began his second tenure with a declaration to surpass the record of drug bursts, arrest and conviction of criminals involved in drug related cases in his first five years. Coming barely six months after ten sailors from Thailand and their ship were convicted and fined Four-Point-Three Million Dollars for drug offences, Brigadier General MARWA vowed that Nigeria will never be allowed to become the foothold of drug smugglers. In a statement confirming the development, the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, FEMI BABAFEMI, said the illicit drug consignment was discovered on board the vessel on Sunday, November 16, following which the Ship Master, Captain QUINO EUGENE CORPUS and nineteen other crew members were taken into custody for investigation. “Following the seizure and arrest of the crew members, the Agency filed an application for an order of court for the detention of the vessel and the 20 Filipinos on board 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 days detention of the vessel, Capt. Corpus and 19 other Filipino crew members.” BABAFEMI further stated that preliminary investigation revealed that this was the first time the vessel was coming to Nigeria and Africa, as it had been largely involved in transporting coal between Colombia and Brazil, while Captain Corpus has been barely three months with the ship. “The Agency had in a similar circumstance arrested 10 sailors who are nationals of Thailand on 13th October 2021 on board a vessel named MV Chayanee Naree for trafficking 32.9 kilograms of cocaine from Brazil into Nigeria through the Apapa seaport. Nine Nigerian suspects were also arrested along with the Thai crew members. The 10 Thai sailors and the vessel were eventually convicted on Thursday 15th May 2025 by a Federal High Court in Lagos presided over by Justice Daniel Osiagor who also fined them $4.3 million. “In his reaction to the latest significant seizure of 20kg cocaine on board MV Nord Bosporus, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) commended the officers, men and women of the Apapa Strategic Command of the Agency as well as the Directorate of Seaport Operations for their vigilance, diligence and professionalism. “Marwa said the cocaine seizure is not just an operational success but “a clear demonstration of our heightened capacity and unwavering resolve”, adding that “we will continue to tighten our grip on all entry and exit points, especially our seaports, which transnational criminal organisations have historically attempted to exploit.” According to him, "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 warned that for any Nigerian who chooses to collaborate with foreign syndicates in the illicit drug trade, “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 your structures, seize your illicit assets, and secure your long-term incarceration”.