…. .. “Nigeria will not be your foothold,” Marwa warns global cartels, following a court-ordered 14-day detention of the merchant ship
A Federal High Court order has authorized the NDLEA to detain the MV San Antonio and 21 crew members after a 25.5kg cocaine shipment from Brazil was intercepted at the Apapa seaport. The discovery, made on December 6, 2025, followed a precise intelligence-led raid. With the vessel now under guard, its international crew—including the captain and sailors from Russia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and the Philippines—is being held as the agency dismantles the syndicate behind the shipment.
This latest seizure follows a similar high-profile interception on November 16, 2025, when NDLEA officers at the Apapa seaport discovered 20 kilograms of cocaine buried aboard the MV Nord Bosporus, also arriving from Santos, Brazil.
In this most recent operation, the Federal High Court has authorized the detention of the vessel’s Master, Trofymov Oleksandr, alongside 20 other crew members now in NDLEA custody:
Eastern European Contingent: Stoychev Sergiy, Bobrov Maksim, Stupnytsky Sergiy, Bitinev Aleksei, Novruzov Teymur, Sosnov Oleg, Bondar Ihor, Klymenko Oleh, Smirnov Viacheslav, and Viacheslav.
Filipino Contingent: Cala Michael De Jesus, Jamir Julfikhar Jacusalem, Blanco Crus Veloso, Fajardo Ronnel Luntaao, Gumela Lolito Jr. Serojano, Toston Romulo Jr. Oling, Gorre Mar Kemmeth Tabudlong, Cruz John Vhoie Glavez, Sablan Jamille Alorro, Abesia Kelvin Belarmino, and Ubay Kenneth Biaoco.
In accordance with international legal protocols, the NDLEA filed an ex parte application (Suit No: FHC/L/MISC/1408/2025) on Friday, December 12, 2025, before Justice Frida Nkemakonam Ogazi at the Federal High Court, Lagos.
The agency sought the formal detention of the MV San Antonio and its 21 crew members pending the filing of criminal charges.
Granting the request, Justice Ogazi ordered an initial 14-day extension of the vessel’s detention. The judge noted the order was necessary to conclude investigations into the 25.5 kilograms of cocaine seized aboard the ship on December 6 at the Apapa seaport, as the agency prepares for prosecution.
The court has adjourned the matter until December 29, 2025. Reacting to the ruling, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) stated that this latest seizure reinforces his warning that international drug cartels and their local allies will never find a foothold in Nigeria.
Commending the Apapa Strategic Command for their consecutive successes, Marwa noted:
“This is a testament to the NDLEA’s heightened capacity and unwavering resolve to frustrate syndicates targeting the West African sub-region.” He reaffirmed that the agency remains committed to international collaborations to maintain a zero-tolerance environment for illicit trafficking.
