Maritime Agencies
COCAINE IMPORTATION:Worker Arrested By NDLEA Not Our Member, MWUN Insists.

By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria,(MWUN) says one Falowo Samuel Kayode, a ‘dock worker’ who was arrested alongside others at the Tin Can Island Port, Lagos, in connection with alleged importation of cocaine and other dangerous substances does not belong to the Union.
The MWUN image maker, John Kennedy Ikemfuna, stated this in a release, Friday.
In a rebuttal to the news making the rounds concerning the alleged importation and the identity of suspects involved, the apex maritime labour union expressed dismay that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) report could link her up concerning the identity of one Falowo Samuel Kayode, who, in cohort with other ‘dockworkers’ allegedly committed the crime of cocaine importation.
Contrary to reports that the arrested Falowo Samuel Kayode is a member of the dock workers’ branch of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), the statement explained, he is indeed a staff of Five Star Logistics.
“The Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN) under the leadership of Comrade (Prince) Dr. Adewale Adeyanju, fnli, HFCPSP, read with dismay the above- captioned online publication in the print and some other sections of the press of Sunday 25th February, 2024, reporting that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested one Falowo Samuel Kayode – a dockworker alongside other culprits in connection with two seized containers with Nos.MSCU 4581770 and TRHU 7968071 laden with 56.39kg of cocaine and 795kg of colorado respectively.”
“The Maritime Workers’ Union wishes to draw the attention of the NDLEA that the said arrested Falowo Samuel Kayode is a staff of Five Star Logistics Terminal and NOT a member of the Dockworkers Branch of the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria.
“The Union wants to clear the air that Falowo Samuel Kayode is not in any way a dockworker under the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria as against the various reportage by some sections of the press.
The Union dissociated itself from the erroneous media publications and broadcasts, insisting that the arrested Falowo Samuel Kayode should NOT be associated with her name.
In fact, the statement explained, the great MWUN has since been on a vigorous campaign against the peddling of hard drugs within the ports and environs as indulging in such acts will be detrimental to the image of the country amongst the comity of maritime nations.
“The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) had taken its campaign across all the port formations nationwide, sensitizing its members on the need not to involve themselves in the dealings of narcotics in any form. The Union had also warned that members must not engage with importers, barons, and clearing agents over the handling and discharge of narcotics at the ports; and that any member found wanting in the cases of narcotics ceases to be member of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria.”
Maritime Agencies
NPA Berths Nigerian-Owned Container Vessel,”MV OCEAN DRAGON,” To Boost Incountry and Regional Trade,

By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), 2nd July, 2025, berthed “MV Ocean Dragon”, the first wholly Nigerian-owned container vessel.
The craft with International Maritime Organization (IMO) Number 9508770 which belongs to Clarion Shipping West Africa Limited has a capacity of 349 Twenty-Foot-Equivalent Units (TEUs) and demonstrates a concerted investment drive by the NPA aimed at reaping the gains of cost and time- saving benefits of short-sea shipping by plying in-country maritime trade routes across Nigeria and the West African sub-region. It offers an efficient alternative to road transport as the Authority’s efforts at deepening multi- modalism in transportation is being realized.
The vessel is scheduled to operate across West Africa and beyond, servicing ports in Nigeria, Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Egypt, South Africa and others, with expressions of interest for businesses already being established.
As stated by Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, Managing Director/ CEO of the NPA: “this development is a testament to our relentless commitment towards deepening efficiencies required for maximizing our marine and blue economy potentials in line with the prompting of the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola whose tenacity of purpose culminated in the recent FEC approval of the national policy on Marine and Blue Economy”.
Speaking about the development too, the Vice President of Clarion Shipping West Africa Limited, Bernadine Eloka, described the acquisition of the vessel as a bold solution to the high-risk, road-dominated movement of cargoes within Nigeria. It signifies a strategic move to deepen regional trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The Clarion Group, she stated, aims to offer more efficient intra-African shipping services while opening up new business opportunities across ports in Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast and beyond.
“We acquired MV Ocean Dragon to offer a seamless alternative to container haulage by road. Rather than struggling to move containers from Lekki to Onitsha, Port Harcourt, or Calabar by trucks, Ocean Dragon can move up to 349 containers by sea and deliver within two days from port to port,” Eloka said.
According to her, enforcement of the cabotage regime would encourage local investment, create jobs, and reduce Nigeria’s dependency on foreign-owned shipping lines.
Also speaking, Managing Director of Clarion Suncity Terminal Logistics Limited, Mustafa Mohammed, said the company would take aggressive steps to compete with global giants such as Maersk Line and MSC, by leveraging its status as Nigeria’s first indigenous shipping liner, investing in assets that directly support Nigerian exporters and importers, particularly in the landlocked regions.
He said the company had already secured bookings for 1,300 export containers and is helping farmers and manufacturers to avoid losses caused by delays and lack of containers.
This development is coming on the heels of the announcement by the NPA MD of injection of 60 million USD in fresh investments towards the establishment of eco-friendly ports developments catalyzed by the Authority’s renewed orientation towards Nigerian content development.
Maritime Agencies
NIGERIAN PORTS AUTHORITY BERTHS FIRST WHOLLY NIGERIAN-OWNED CONTAINER VESSEL.

By Izuchukwu Ozemema
In a development that signposts readiness to maximize the gains derivable from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on 2nd July at 05:05 hours deployed its state-of-the-art marine crafts to berth the first wholly Nigerian-owned container vessel.
The container vessel with International Maritime Organization (IMO) number 9508770 christened MV Ocean Dragon is owned by Clarion Shipping West Africa Limited has a capacity of 349 Twenty-Foot-Equivalent Units (TEUs) gives a boost to concerted investment drive geared towards reaping the cost and time saving benefits of short-sea shipping by plying in-country maritime trade routes across Nigeria and the West African sub-region and offers an efficient alternative to road transport as the Authority’s efforts at deepening multi modalism crystallize.
The vessel is scheduled to operate across West Africa and beyond, servicing ports in Nigeria, Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Egypt, South Africa and others, with expressions of interest for business already being established.
Responding to the milestone, Managing Director/ CEO of the NPA Abubakar Dantsoho said “this development is a testament to our relentless commitment towards deepening efficiencies required for maximizing our marine and blue economy potentials in line with the prompting of the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola whose tenacity of purpose culminated in the recent FEC approval of the national policy on Marine and Blue Economy”.
On her part, Vice President of Clarion Shipping West Africa Limited, Bernadine Eloka, described the acquisition as a bold solution to the high-risk, road-dominated movement of cargoes within Nigeria and a strategic move to deepen regional trade under the AfCFTA.
She said that the Clarion Group aims to offer more efficient intra-African shipping services while opening up new business opportunities across ports in Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, and beyond.
“We acquired MV Ocean Dragon to offer a seamless alternative to container haulage by road. Rather than struggling to move containers from Lekki to Onitsha, Port Harcourt, or Calabar by trucks, Ocean Dragon can move up to 349 containers by sea and deliver within two days from port to port,” Eloka said.
According to her, enforcement of the cabotage regime would encourage local investment, create jobs, and reduce Nigeria’s dependency on foreign-owned shipping lines.
Also, Managing Director of Clarion Suncity Terminal Logistics Limited, Mustafa Mohammed, said the company would take aggressive steps to compete with global giants, such as Maersk Line and MSC, by leveraging its status as Nigeria’s first indigenous shipping liner, investing in assets that directly support Nigerian exporters and importers, particularly in the landlocked regions.
He said the company had already secured bookings for 1,300 export containers, and is helping farmers and manufacturers to avoid losses caused by delays and lack of containers.
This development is coming on the heels of the announcement by the MD NPA Abubakar Dantsoho of fresh injection of 60 million USD in fresh investments towards the establishment of eco-friendly ports developments catalyzed by the Authority’s renewed orientation towards Nigerian content development.
Maritime Agencies
HALF-YEAR REVENUE DISPOSITION: Apapa Customs Hits N1.38Trillion, Confiscates Prohibited Goods Worth Billions.

By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
Following diligent commitment of officers to duty, improved stakeholders’ compliance to legitimate trade and the strategic leadership of Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in the first half of 2025, collected ₦1.378 trillion, a remarkable 35% increase in the revenue figure achieved in the corresponding period of 2024.
“We insisted on maximum revenue collection and plugged leakages through effective demand notices,” the Apapa Command Customs Area Controller (CAC) Comptroller Babatunde Olomu announced in Lagos, Thursday, while addressing the press.
The Command, the CAC stated, also recorded several milestones including the first-ever use of the Single Goods Declaration (SGD) through the new B’Odogwu digital platform designed to streamline cargo clearance, reduce congestion and deepen trade facilitation.
In a bid to further modernize operations, he added, the Command is presently collaborating with the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) and industry stakeholders to revive rail cargo movement from Apapa Port to other parts of the country with the aim to decongest roads and cut logistics costs.
Between January and June, 2025, the Command intercepted 27 containers of contrabands whose combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) stands at ₦9.27 billion. These include unregistered pharmaceuticals, expired food products and codeine syrup.
Others are used clothing, stolen vehicles and wildlife parts imported in violation ofradr the CITES treaty.
”As a standard, we will never compromise the health, well-being, safety of Nigerians on the altar of trade facilitation. Every consignment going through our port undergo diligent check through scanning and physical examination when required.”
”It is pertinent to note that trafficking of wild animals contravenes the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) which Nigeria is a signatory to. Equally on the detention list is a container of matches imported without the required End-User Certificate as provided for on our extant laws.”
In his submission, Buba Makawa, Commander, Narcotics, Apapa Command of the NDLEA decried the situation whereby importers of fake pharmaceuticals and other illicit drugs use fake companies and addresses to avoid being detected.
”Most of the drugs being imported are brought in the name of fake companies. We had some cases we are prosecuting at the Federal High Court. We had to use their NIN to trace the perpetrators. If we use the Bill of Laden, it won’t lead anywhere.”
Within the period, three bonded terminals were sealed for various infractions, with one already facing prosecution, the CAC told the maritime press.
“We have demonstrated our capacity, and we shall continue to do more,” Olomu declared.
The Area Controller described intelligence- sharing as “a critical force in defeating criminal networks” and commended other sister agencies who volunteer massive collaboration to enable the Command discharge her duties.
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NPA Berths Nigerian-Owned Container Vessel,”MV OCEAN DRAGON,” To Boost Incountry and Regional Trade,
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NIGERIAN PORTS AUTHORITY BERTHS FIRST WHOLLY NIGERIAN-OWNED CONTAINER VESSEL.