LAGOS, NIGERIA — Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced a foreign vessel and 11 Filipino nationals to significant financial penalties following their conviction for the unlawful importation of 20 kilograms of cocaine into Nigeria.
The judgment, delivered on Wednesday, followed a plea bargain agreement between the defendants and the Federal Government.
The vessel, MV Nord Bosporus, and its crew were initially apprehended by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on November 16, 2025, at the Apapa Port Terminal in Lagos.
Adopting the terms of the plea bargain, Justice Faji ordered the Vessel, MV Nord Bosporus to pay a fine in the sum of ₦100,000 and a restitution in the sum of $5.350 million to the Federal Government.
The judge equally directed principal officers (Captain & Senior Crew) each to pay a fine of ₦100,000 and restitution in the sum of $100,000 to the Federal Government.
Junior crew members were each fined ₦100,000 and ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution.
The counsel for the prosecution, Theresa Asuquo, while addressing the court, revealed that the crew conspired to transport the narcotics from Santos, Brazil, into Nigerian waters.
The 20 kg haul of cocaine was discovered aboard the vessel shortly after it arrived in Apapa.
The defendants, including Captain Eugene Quinos Corpuz and ten others, were charged under the NDLEA Act for conspiracy and unlawful importation.
While they initially pleaded not guilty, they later opted for a plea bargain under Section 270(4) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
Defence counsel Femi Atoyebi (SAN) confirmed the agreement during the hearing, urging the court to accept the terms to expedite the resolution of the case.
In his ruling, Justice Faji affirmed that the conviction and subsequent restitution served as a deterrent against the use of international maritime routes for drug trafficking.
The convicted crew members include: 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.
#NigeriaNews #NDLEA #MaritimeSecurity #LagosCourt #DrugTrafficking #MVNordBosporus #LegalNews #CocaineBust #MaritimeLaw
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