The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency discovered 20 kilograms of cocaine concealed on a Brazil-bound freighter, the MV Nord Bosporus, at Lagos' Apapa dock. The ship, its skipper, and 19 other Filipino crew members were detained following a court order obtained by the Agency.
According to the NDLEA, officers discovered the cocaine on board the vessel on Sunday, November 16, 2025, after it arrived from the port of Santos in Brazil.
Captain Quino Eugene Corpus, the ship's master, was promptly detained, along with the 19 Filipino crew members, for further inquiry.
Following the seizure, the Agency filed a motion ex parte before Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court in Lagos.
On Thursday, November 20, 2025, the court awarded the vessel, the captain, and the 19 crew members an initial 14-day detention order under suit number FHC/L/MISC/1306/25.
Investigators discovered that the MV Nord Bosporus was landing in Nigeria and Africa for the first time. The vessel had been mostly used to transport coal between Colombia and Brazil. Captain Corpus had barely been on the ship for three months before being arrested.
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), Chairman and CEO of the NDLEA, has cautioned that the Agency's stance on drug trafficking remains unyielding. He also issued a warning to Nigerians who support foreign drug syndicates.