By Nkechi Eze
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has secured an order of the Federal High Court in Lagos to detain a commodity vessel, its captain, and 20 other crew members following the seizure of 25.5 kilograms of cocaine concealed in the ship’s hatch at the Apapa seaport.
The vessel, MV San Antonio, had arrived in Nigeria from Brazil when operatives of the NDLEA, acting on credible intelligence, uncovered the illicit drug consignment on 6 December 2025. After the complete discharge of cargo, a total of 21 crew members of different nationalities were taken into NDLEA custody alongside the recovered cocaine.
Director of Media and Advocacy of the Agency, Femi Babafemi, disclosed in an official statement that those arrested include the Master of the vessel, Trofymov Oleksandr, and other crew members drawn from Russia, the Philippines, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and other countries. The suspects are being held as investigations continue into their alleged roles in the trafficking operation.
The latest seizure comes barely weeks after a similar interception by NDLEA operatives at the Apapa seaport on 16 November, when another Brazil-bound vessel, MV Nord Bosporus, was found with no fewer than 20 kilograms of cocaine buried beneath its cargo. The back-to-back interceptions, the Agency said, point to a sustained attempt by international drug syndicates to use Nigeria’s seaports as transit routes.
In line with international legal procedures, the NDLEA on Friday, 12 December, filed an ex-parte application before Justice Frida Nkemakonam Ogazi of the Federal High Court, Lagos, seeking the detention of the vessel and the 21 crew members pending the conclusion of investigations and the filing of formal charges.
Granting the application in suit number FHC/L/MISC/1408/2025, Justice Ogazi ordered the detention of MV San Antonio for an initial period of 14 days. In her ruling, the judge held that the vessel should remain in custody following the seizure of 25.5 kilograms of cocaine aboard it on 6 December 2025 at the Apapa seaport, pending the conclusion of investigation and possible prosecution. The matter was subsequently adjourned to 29 December 2025.
Reacting to the development, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), said the seizure reinforces earlier warnings to international drug cartels and their local collaborators that Nigeria will not provide safe haven for illicit drug trafficking.
Commending officers of the Apapa Strategic Command for the successful operations, Marwa described the development as further proof of the Agency’s growing capacity and determination. “This is no doubt a testament to NDLEA’s heightened capacity and unwavering resolve to frustrate the drug syndicates targeting the West African sub-region, especially Nigeria,” he said.
He added that the Agency would continue to work closely with local and international partners to sustain a zero-tolerance stance on substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking, stressing that efforts to protect Nigeria’s ports and borders would remain relentless.
