Lagos Court Orders Detention Of Brazil-Bound Ship And 21 Crew Following 25.5kg Cocaine Seizure

According to Ireporter Online, the Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the detention of a Brazil-bound merchant vessel, its captain, and 20 crew members following the seizure of 25.5 kilograms of cocaine at Apapa seaport.

The cocaine was discovered in the hatch of the MV San Antonio, which had arrived from Brazil. Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), acting on credible intelligence, intercepted the drugs on December 6, 2025.

After the vessel’s cargo was fully discharged, 21 crew members of various nationalities—including Russians, Filipinos, Ukrainians, and Azerbaijanis—were taken into NDLEA custody alongside the seized narcotics. Those arrested include the ship’s captain, Trofymov Oleksandr, and crew members Stoychev Sergiy, Bobrov Maksim, Stupnytsky Sergiy, Bitinev Aleksei, Novruzov Teymur, Sosnov Oleg, Bondar Ihor, Klymenko Oleh, Cala Michael De Jesus, Jamir Julfikhar Jacusalem, Blanco Crus Veloso, Fajardo Ronnel Luntaao, Gumela Lolito Jr. Serojano, Toston Romulo Jr. Oling, Smirnov Viacheslav, Gorre Mar Kemmeth Tabudlong, Cruz John Vhoie Glavez, Sablan Jamille Alorro, Abesia Kelvin Belarmino, and Ubay Kenneth Biaoco.

The latest seizure comes weeks after a similar interception at the same port, where NDLEA operatives seized 20 kilograms of cocaine aboard the MV Nord Bosporus, also arriving from Brazil, on November 16.

In line with international legal protocols, the NDLEA filed an ex parte application before Justice Frida Nkemakonam Ogazi seeking the detention of the vessel and crew pending the filing of charges. The court granted the request, extending the detention of the MV San Antonio for 14 days and adjourning the matter to December 29, 2025.

Reacting to the development, NDLEA Chairman and CEO Mohamed Buba Marwa stated that the seizure underscores the agency’s commitment to preventing international drug cartels from establishing a foothold in Nigeria. In a statement released on December 17 through the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, Marwa commended officers of the Apapa Strategic Command for the successful operations, describing the arrests as a demonstration of NDLEA’s enhanced capacity and determination to combat drug trafficking in West Africa.

Marwa emphasized that the agency would continue collaborating with local and international partners to maintain zero tolerance for illicit drug activities in Nigeria.