The Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) said that its Special Mission Vessel DB Lagos operated by Nigerian Navy is responding to distress alert and closing on attempted piracy incident on MT ENDO PONENTO in the Gulf of Guinea.
Edward Osagie, Head, Public Relations NIMASA, disclosed in a statement on Friday.
Osagie, a Deputy Director said that at 20:53hrs on Thursday, August 28, 2025, the C4i Centre of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) received an alert from the Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade (MDAT) Gulf of Guinea Watch keepers regarding an attempted boarding of the Malta-flagged chemical tanker, ENDO PONENTE, at position 05°10’N, 001°23’E, close to Lome Port, Togo.
He said 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.
Vessel route
“The NIMASA 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.
“The crew have retreated to the Citadel in line with international best practice for ship security,” he said, adding that 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.
Dr. Dayo Mobereola, DG NIMASA
Commenting on the development, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to regional maritime security cooperation, stating:
“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.
