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20kg cocaine trafficking: 10 Filipino sailors, ship convicted, fined $6million (Photos)
. It’s an unambiguous signal that Nigeria’s territorial waters no longer a playground for drug cartels, says Marwa, commends NDLEA officers for diligent prosecution
Barely four months after their arrest by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for importing 20 kilograms of cocaine from Santos Brazil into Nigeria through the Apapa seaport in Lagos, 10 Filipino sailors and their merchant vessel marked MV Nord Bosporus have been convicted and fined a total of Six Million US Dollars ($6million) as well as another penalty of One Million One Hundred Thousand Naira (N1.1million) by a Federal High Court in Lagos.
The merchant vessel and its crew members were arrested following the seizure of 20 kilograms of cocaine on board the ship by NDLEA officers at the Apapa seaport in Lagos on 16th November 2025. A four-count criminal charge was subsequently filed against them in suit number FHC/L/1232C/25 at the Federal High Court 2 in Lagos by a team of NDLEA prosecutors led by the Agency’s Director of Prosecution and Legal Services, Theresa Asuquo.
The vessel and its Filipino sailors, namely: 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, however decided to plead guilty and enter a plea bargain agreement.
Delivering his ruling on the plea bargain agreement on Wednesday 18th March 2026, the trial judge, Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court 2 Lagos found MV Nord Bosporus
guilty for an offence under Section 25 of the NDLEA Act. The judge ordered the vessel to pay the sum of N100,000 penalty for the offence and a restitution in the sum of Five Million Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand US dollars to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The three principal officers of the vessel who are the 2nd , 3rd and 4th defendants in the case were also convicted and sentenced to pay the sum of N100,000.00 each and a restitution of $100,000.00 each to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, while the 5th to 11th defendants were equally convicted and sentenced to pay N100,000.00 each in addition to a restitution of $50,000.00 each.
This brings the total fine to be paid to the Federal Government of Nigeria by the vessel and its 10 sailors to $6million and N1.1million as restitution and penalty respectively.
Reacting to the landmark judgement, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) noted that the conviction of the vessel and its crew members “is a resounding victory for the rule of law and a powerful testament to the renewed vigour of the NDLEA in our mission to rid Nigeria of illicit drugs.”
He added that “the imposition of a $6 million fine equally serves as a stark, expensive lesson to international drug cartels and their local collaborators that Nigeria’s territorial waters are no longer a playground for the illicit narcotics trade.”
“Let this judgment be an unambiguous signal to every shipping line, vessel owner, and sailor worldwide that if you turn your ships into floating warehouses for illicit drugs, you will not only lose your freedom but also your assets. We have moved beyond mere seizures; we are now hitting the syndicates where it hurts most, their pockets and their operational assets.”
He commended the officers and men of the Apapa Strategic Command of the Agency for their vigilance in identifying the cocaine consignment buried deep within the cargo of a massive commodity vessel.
This success, coming on the heels of similar convictions like that of the MV Chayanee Naree, he said, “shows that our ‘back-to-back’ strategy is yielding concrete results.”
He specifically expressed appreciation to the Directorate of Prosecution and Legal Services for their diligence in the prosecution of the case. “We thank the judiciary for the accelerated hearing of this case. This synergy between the NDLEA and the courts is the nightmare of every drug baron, and we shall continue to strengthen this partnership until the last drug supply chain in Nigeria is dismantled”, he stated.
While expressing the unwavering resolve of the Agency, Marwa said “we are not just fighting a crime; we are defending the future of our youth and the security of our nation and in doing this our intelligence networks are getting wider, our technology sharper, and our resolve is unbreakable.”
Finally, Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu has resigned from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet.
In a resignation letter dated April 22, 2026, and addressed to President Bola Tinubu, Adelabu said the decision would take effect from April 30, 2026, to allow for a smooth transition.
The letter, routed through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, stated that he was stepping down with “a deep sense of honour and profound gratitude.”
He wrote, “I write with a deep sense of honour and profound gratitude to formally tender my resignation as the Honourable Minister of Power of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This resignation is to take effect on 30th April 2026, in order to allow sufficient time for a smooth and orderly handover of responsibilities.”
Adelabu thanked the President for the opportunity to serve, describing his appointment as a privilege.
He said, “Your Excellency, I remain sincerely grateful for the privilege and confidence you reposed in me by appointing me to serve our great nation in this capacity.
It has been a rare honour to contribute to national development under your leadership and to play a role in advancing reforms in the power sector—one of the most critical foundations of Nigeria’s industrial growth and economic transformation.”
By Gloria Ikibah
As part of efforts to strengthen the country’s security architecture, President Bola Tinubu, has sent a formal communication to the House of Representatives on seeking legislative approval for the repeal and re-enactment of the Nigerian Police Trust Fund (NPTF) Establishment Act, 2025.
The request which was transmitted to the House for consideration and passage on Wednesday at plenary, underscores the need to improve the management and administration of the fund, enhance police training, and provide modern equipment for the Nigeria Police Force.
According to the letter,, the proposed amendment is aimed at boosting the operational capacity, accountability, and sustainability of the Police Trust Fund in line with current security challenges.
The President urged lawmakers to give the bill expeditious consideration, as the said the reform will improve the welfare of police personnel and support skill development across the force.
In another development, the House Committee on Rules and Business has moved to tighten legislative discipline, directing all standing and ad hoc committees to submit reports on bills and motions within set timelines in line with House procedures.
Chairman of the committee, Rep. Francis Uwaive, reminded all committee chairmen to treat all assigned matters within 30 days, with the risk of losing such assignments after 60 days if no progress is made, except where a short extension is granted.
A firm deadline has also been set for all outstanding reports, with the end of April 2026 as the cut-off point, and non-compliance attracting automatic discharge.
Amid the formal proceedings, lawmakers briefly paused to celebrate two members marking their birthdays, acknowledging their contributions to public service and national development.
The mood later shifted as the House paid tribute to a former member of the Fifth Assembly, observing a minute’s silence in his honour following his passing after a prolonged illness.
He was remembered for his dedication and service to his constituents in Benue State, with colleagues noting that his death represents a significant loss to the legislature and the country.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday that their naval forces stopped two ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz and directed them to the territorial waters of the Islamic Republic.
“The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval force this morning identified and stopped in the Strait of Hormuz two violating ships,” the Guards said in a statement.
“The two offending ships… were seized by the IRGC’s naval forces and directed to the Iranian coast.”
They identified one ship as “MSC-FRANCESCA”, which they said belonged “to the Zionist regime” in reference to Israel, and the other as “EPAMINONDAS”, which they said was “tampering with navigation systems and jeopardising maritime security.”
The Guards further warned against any action against the regulations imposed by the Islamic republic in the strait “as well as activities contrary to the safe passage” through the waterway.
Tehran has said vessels must seek permission to leave of enter the Gulf through Hormuz, through a route that in peacetime accounts for a fifth of the world’s oil and gas exports along with other vital commodities.
Source: AFP
BREAKING: Finally, Power Minister, Adelabu resigns from Tinubu’s cabinet
Reps Begin Review of Police Trust Fund Law, Tighten Timeline for Committee Work
Iran Seizes Two Ships attempting to cross Strait of Hormuz
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