MARWA WARNS DRUG CARTELS, “NIGERIA IS NOT, AND WILL NEVER BE, YOUR FOOTHOLD”
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a vessel transporting 20 kilograms of cocaine from Brazil into Nigeria, marking another breakthrough in the country’s fight against transnational drug trafficking.
The vessel, MV Nord Bosporus (IMO 9760110), which sailed from the port of Santos in Brazil, was seized by NDLEA operatives at the Apapa seaport in Lagos on Sunday, 16 November 2025. The illicit substance was reportedly concealed beneath the ship’s cargo.
NDLEA officers subsequently arrested the ship’s master, Captain Quino Eugene Corpus, along with 19 other crew members—all Filipinos—who are currently in custody as investigations continue.
Following the arrests, the Agency approached the Federal High Court in Lagos for an order to detain the vessel and crew for further investigation. Justice Musa Kakaki on Thursday, 20 November 2025, granted a 14-day detention order in suit number FHC/L/MISC/1306/25.
Preliminary findings indicate that the MV Nord Bosporus was making its maiden voyage to Nigeria and Africa. Investigators also disclosed that Captain Corpus had been with the vessel for only three months, with the ship primarily operating coal routes between Colombia and Brazil.
The interception bears similarity to a 2021 case in which NDLEA arrested 10 Thai sailors aboard MV Chayanee Naree for trafficking 32.9kg of cocaine from Brazil through the same Apapa port. The crew, alongside nine Nigerian collaborators, were convicted on 15 May 2025 and fined $4.3 million by Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court.
Reacting to the latest seizure, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), praised officers of the Apapa Strategic Command and the Directorate of Seaport Operations for what he described as vigilance and professionalism.
Marwa said the operation was not only a tactical success but also proof of the Agency’s renewed capacity and determination to shut down drug trafficking routes into the country.
“This seizure is a clear demonstration of our heightened capacity and unwavering resolve,” he said.
“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.”
He issued a strong warning to international cartels and their domestic accomplices: “Nigeria is not, and will never be, your space or your foothold. The NDLEA is operating with zero tolerance. You may scheme, you may attempt sophisticated concealment, but you will fail.”
Marwa further cautioned Nigerians collaborating with foreign drug syndicates, stressing that such acts amount to a betrayal of national interest.
“The consequences of aiding and abetting drug trafficking will be severe and unrelenting,” he warned. “We will dismantle your structures, seize your illicit assets, and ensure long-term incarceration.”
The NDLEA says full investigations into the vessel’s activities and network are ongoing.
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