Court Convicts Filipino Sailors for Cocaine Trafficking

On November 16, 2025, the Federal High Court in Lagos convicted ten Filipino sailors and their merchant vessel, MV Nord Bosporu, for trafficking over 20 kilograms of cocaine from Brazil to Nigeria's Apapa Seaport. The court, presided over by Justice Ayokunle Faji, ruled on a plea bargain agreement that the sailors entered, leading to their guilty plea.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), represented by Director of Prosecution and Legal Services Theresa Asuquo, prosecuted the case. The court imposed a total fine of $6 million, with the vessel ordered to pay $100,000 in penalties and a restitution sum of $5,350,000 to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The sailors were also fined a total of 1.1 million naira. NDLEA Chairman Mohammed Buba Marwa commended the agency's efforts in identifying the cocaine hidden within the ship's cargo, emphasizing that Nigerian waters are no longer a safe haven for drug cartels.