10 Filipino sailors convicted, fined $6m for trafficking 20kg cocaine
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 $6million by a […]
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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 $6million by a Federal High Court in Lagos.
The court also fined them N1.1million as another penalty.
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 November 16, 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, 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.”