The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has secured an order of the Federal High Court in Lagos permitting the detention of a merchant vessel, its captain and 20 other crew members following the seizure of 25.5 kilograms of cocaine at the Apapa seaport.
The drugs were discovered aboard the commodity vessel, MV San Antonio, which arrived in Lagos from Brazil on December 6, 2025. NDLEA operatives, acting on intelligence, found the cocaine concealed in a hatch of the ship after its cargo was discharged.
In a statement issued on Thursday, NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said the agency approached the court in line with international maritime and legal procedures to detain the vessel and its crew pending the conclusion of investigations.
“On Friday, December 12, the NDLEA filed an ex parte application in suit number FHC/L/MISC/1408/2025 before Justice Frida Nkemakonam Ogazi of the Federal High Court, Lagos, seeking the detention of the vessel and the 21 crew members pending the filing of charges,” Babafemi said.
Those detained include the ship’s master, Trofymov Oleksandr, alongside 20 crew members of different nationalities.
Ruling on the application, Justice Ogazi granted the request and ordered the continued detention of the vessel and crew.
“An order of court is hereby made extending the detention of the vessel, MV San Antonio, being investigated by the applicant, NDLEA, for 14 days in the first instance following the seizure of 25.5 kilograms of cocaine aboard the said vessel on December 6, 2025, at Apapa seaport, Lagos, pending the conclusion of investigation and/or filing of criminal charges,” the judge ruled.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter to December 29, 2025.
Babafemi noted that the interception followed a similar operation on November 16, when NDLEA officers seized about 20 kilograms of cocaine concealed under cargo aboard another vessel, MV Nord Bosporus, which also arrived from Brazil at the Apapa port.
Reacting to the development, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), said the seizure underscored the agency’s resolve to dismantle international drug trafficking networks.
“This operation once again demonstrates our zero tolerance for drug trafficking and our commitment to working with both local and international partners to keep Nigeria’s ports and borders secure,” Marwa said.
He commended officers of the NDLEA Apapa Strategic Command for what he described as a “highly professional and intelligence-driven operation,” assuring that the agency would sustain pressure on transnational drug syndicates operating through Nigerian seaports.
