Justice Ayokunle Faji of a Federal High Court, Lagos, Wednesday convicted and sentenced a vessel and 11 Filipino nationals to various penalties following a plea bargain agreement reached with the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The trial judge convicted and sentenced the defendants after they pleaded guilty to an amended charges pursuant to the agreement.
In line with the plea bargain, Justice Faji imposed a fine of N100,000 on the vessel, MV Nord Bosporus, and ordered it to pay $5.350 million as restitution to the Federal Government.
The court also directed the vessel’s principal officers including the Captain and other senior crew members, to each pay a fine of N100,000 and $100,000 in restitution.
The remaining crew members were ordered to pay a fine of N100,000 each and $50,000 as restitution to the Federal Government.
The conviction followed the earlier arraignment of the vessel and its Filipino crew members by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, on charges of conspiracy and unlawful importation of 20 kilograms of cocaine into Nigeria.
The defendants include Eugene Corpuz, Mark Jardiniano, Alexis Evarrola, Francis Carpio, Franz Mayran, Mahinay Lagura, Mario Malvar, Hormachuelos Guivencan, Joshua Hufanda, and Edwin Reyes.
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They were arraigned before Justice Faji on a charge marked FHC/L/1232C/2025.
The prosecution, led by Theresa Asuquo, informed the court that the defendants and the vessel were arrested on November 16, 2025, at a Terminal, Apapa Port, Lagos.
According to the prosecution, the crew members conspired among themselves to unlawfully import 20 kilograms of cocaine aboard the vessel, MV Nord Bosporus, from Santos, Brazil, into Nigeria.
The offences were said to be contrary to Sections 11(b) and 14(b) of the NDLEA Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Although the defendants initially pleaded not guilty, the prosecution later informed the court that parties had entered into a plea bargain agreement pursuant to Section 270(4) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
Counsel to the defendants, Femi Atoyebi, SAN, confirmed the agreement and urged the court to adopt its terms.
Justice Faji subsequently adopted the plea bargain and delivered judgment in accordance with its provisions.
