Court Fines Ship, 10 Filipino Sailors $6 Million Over Cocaine Smuggling in Lagos

A Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted 10 Filipino sailors and their vessel, MV Nord Bosporus, over the importation of 20 kilograms of cocaine into Nigeria, imposing a combined fine of $6 million and ?1.1 million.

The arrest was carried out by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on November 16, 2025, at the Apapa seaport in Lagos, after officers discovered the illicit drugs concealed onboard the merchant vessel.

Following the seizure, the NDLEA filed a four-count charge against the ship and its crew at the Federal High Court, in a case led by the agency’s Director of Prosecution and Legal Services, Theresa Asuquo.

The accused sailors—Eugene Quinos Corpuz, Mark Joseph Jardiniano, Alexis Navidad Evarrola, Francis Gerard Niones Carpio, Franz Jude Mayran, Mahinay Junniel Lagura, Mario Ganiban Malvar, Hormachuelos Lordito Guivencan, Joshua Emmanuel Hufanda, and Edwin Baltazar Reyes—pleaded guilty and entered into a plea bargain agreement.

Delivering judgment on March 18, 2026, Justice Ayokunle Faji found the vessel guilty under the NDLEA Act and ordered it to pay ?100,000 as penalty and $5.35 million as restitution to the Federal Government.

The court also convicted the ship’s principal officers, ordering each to pay ?100,000 and $100,000 in restitution, while other crew members were fined ?100,000 each alongside $50,000 restitution.

In total, the penalties imposed on the vessel and its crew amounted to $6 million and ?1.1 million.

Reacting to the ruling, NDLEA Chairman, Mohamed Buba Marwa, described the judgment as a major victory in the fight against drug trafficking.

He said the ruling sends a strong warning to international drug cartels and collaborators that Nigeria’s waters will no longer be used for illicit narcotics operations.

Marwa also commended NDLEA officers at the Apapa Strategic Command for their vigilance and praised the judiciary for the swift handling of the case, noting that continued collaboration between law enforcement and the courts is key to dismantling drug networks in the country.