Lagos court extends detention of vessel and crew over cocaine case
Justice Friday Ogazi of the Federal High Court in Lagos has extended the detention of the vessel MV San Antonio and its 21 crew members. The crew, arrested by the Nigeria Customs Service at Apapa Port, Lagos, allegedly smuggled 25.5 kilogrammes of cocaine into Nigeria. The vessel and crew were handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for further investigation. The court has set a new date for a progress report on the case.
What happened
- Justice Friday Ogazi extended the detention of MV San Antonio and its 21 crew members for another 14 days on Monday.
- The vessel was arrested by the Nigeria Customs Service at Apapa Port, Lagos, on December 6, 2025, after arriving from Brazil.
- Customs officials allegedly found cocaine hidden in a bulk shipment of sugar.
- On December 12, 2025, Justice Ogazi had initially granted the NDLEA permission to detain the vessel and crew for 14 days.
- The court adjourned the matter to January 13 for a report on the progress of investigations.
