The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has foiled an attempted piracy incident in the Gulf of Guinea, off the coast of Lome, Togo.
On August 28, 2025, at 20:53hrs, the C4i Centre of NIMASA received an alert from the Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade (MDAT) Gulf of Guinea Watchkeepers regarding an attempted boarding of the Malta-flagged chemical tanker, ENDO PONENTE.
The vessel, which was positioned at 05°10’N, 001°23’E, close to Lome Port, Togo, had its crew retreat to the Citadel in line with international best practice for ship security. Intelligence gathered from the C4i Centre later placed the vessel at 04°19’16”N, 01°35’59”E, within Ghana’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
NIMASA’s Special Mission Vessel DB Lagos, operated by the Nigerian Navy under the Deep Blue Project, was immediately alerted and is currently closing in on the distressed vessel. NIMASA is actively coordinating with the Nigerian Navy and other regional maritime security agencies to ensure the safety of the crew and to support ongoing investigations into the incident.
The Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to regional maritime security cooperation, stating that NIMASA remains committed to strengthening security collaboration across the Gulf of Guinea to safeguard seafarers, deter criminal activity, and ensure safer maritime trade, leveraging on the Deep Blue Project.
The ENDO PONENTE, a moderate-risk Maltese-flagged chemical tanker, generally operates across West, Central, and Southern African regions. Its last port call was at Kalamu, Democratic Republic of Congo.
The swift response by NIMASA and its partners has prevented a potentially disastrous incident, highlighting the importance of collaboration and vigilance in maritime security.