- info@thetraffic.ng
- 7 Nasir El Rufai Crescent, Guzape
- Apple honors eight developers with annual Apple Design Awards
- PRESIDENT TINUBU’S MINING REFORMS YIELD SIX-FOLD INCREASE IN REVENUE, $800M FOREIGN INVESTMENT, REVEALS ALAKE
- Shettima Vows Federal Backing for Nigerian Investors: A Billion-Dollar Economy in Sight
- JAMB Raises Bar for Under-16 Admission as 599 Gifted Candidates Score Above 320 in UTME
- CPC Bloc Reaffirms Commitment to APC
- National Sports Commission Convenes Strategic Meeting With Sports Federations’ Presidents and Secretaries
- Nigeria Declares Bitcoin & Other Virtual Assets as Official Securities in Bold New Law
- Osinachi’s Husband Sentenced to Death by Hanging
- Court of Appeal Upholds IPOB’s Terrorist Status – What This Means for Nnamdi Kanu
- IG Orders Arrest Of Cops’ Killers During Abuja Shi’ite Procession
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has secured a Federal High Court order in Lagos authorising the detention of a commodity vessel and its 21 crew members following the seizure of 25.5 kilograms of cocaine at the Apapa seaport.
The order was granted by Justice Frida Nkemakonam Ogazi, who approved the detention of the vessel, MV San Antonio, alongside its captain and crew for an initial period of 14 days, pending the conclusion of investigations and the filing of criminal charges.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi.
According to the agency, the court order followed preliminary findings linking the vessel and its crew to the intercepted consignment of cocaine, which was discovered during a routine inspection at the Apapa port. The seizure, NDLEA said, forms part of ongoing efforts to dismantle international drug trafficking networks using Nigeria’s seaports as transit routes.
Babafemi explained that the detention would allow investigators to conduct an exhaustive probe into the origin of the illicit drugs, the intended destination, and the level of involvement of the crew members and other possible collaborators, both within and outside the country.
“The order empowers the NDLEA to keep the vessel and its crew in custody while investigations are concluded and necessary charges are prepared and filed in court,” the statement said.
READ ALSO: Nigeria Earns ₦12.8tn from Crude Oil Exports in Q3 2025 — NBS
He added that the agency acted in line with due process by seeking judicial authorisation to prevent the vessel from leaving Nigerian waters and to ensure that all suspects are available for prosecution if found culpable.
The NDLEA reaffirmed its resolve to strengthen surveillance at Nigeria’s ports and borders, noting that maritime routes remain a key channel exploited by transnational drug syndicates to move large volumes of narcotics.
The agency also warned shipping companies and crew members operating in Nigerian waters to exercise strict compliance with the law, stressing that ignorance or complicity in drug trafficking would attract severe legal consequences.
Justice Ogazi is expected to review the matter at the expiration of the 14-day detention period, by which time the NDLEA is expected to conclude investigations and formally arraign suspects, should sufficient evidence be established.
