Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted MV Nord Bosporus, a vessel arriving from Santos, Brazil, at the Apapa seaport in Lagos, with 20 kilograms of cocaine concealed within its cargo.

The operation occurred on Sunday, November 16, 2025, just six months after the conviction of 10 Thai sailors for trafficking a larger quantity of the drug into Nigeria.

The NDLEA’s officers took Captain Quino Eugene Corpus and 19 Filipino crew members into custody for further investigation following the discovery.

The agency has since filed for a court order to detain the vessel and the crew, a statement from its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, indicates.

This motion was granted by Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court in Lagos, allowing for an initial 14-day detention for continued investigation.

Preliminary investigations according to the NDLEA indicate that this was the first arrival of the MV Nord Bosporus in Nigeria and Africa, as it primarily transported coal between Colombia and Brazil.

Captain Corpus has been with the ship for just three months.

This incident mirrors a previous case in October 2021, when 10 Thai sailors aboard the MV Chayanee Naree were arrested for trafficking 32.9 kilograms of cocaine, leading to their conviction and a $4.3 million fine in May 2025.

In response to the recent seizure, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CCEO) Brigadier General Mohamed Marwa (rtd), praised the agency’s officers for their diligence, stating, “This cocaine seizure is a clear demonstration of our heightened capacity and unwavering resolve.”

He emphasised the NDLEA’s commitment to securing Nigeria’s borders, saying, “We will continue to tighten our grip on all entry and exit points. Nigeria is not, and will never be, your space or your foothold. The NDLEA is operating with zero tolerance.”

Marwa also warned potential collaborators within Nigeria about the repercussions of engaging in drug trafficking: “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.”

In other news, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the reappointment of Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) as Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for another five-year term.

Marwa, first appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2021, previously chaired the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse from 2018 to 2020.

His renewed tenure will see him lead the NDLEA until 2031.

A former military governor of Lagos and Borno States, Marwa is an alumnus of the Nigerian Military School and the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA).

Commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1973, he has held several strategic positions, including brigade major of the 23 Armoured Brigade; Aide-de-Camp to then Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Theophilus Danjuma; academic registrar of the NDA; Deputy Defence Adviser at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, D.C.; and Defence Adviser at the Nigerian Permanent Mission to the United Nations.

He holds two postgraduate degrees: a Master of Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University.