By Barnabas Esiet.
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has sprang into action after receiving an alert about an attempted piracy incident on the Malta-flagged chemical tanker, ENDO PONENTE, on Thursday, August 28, 2025.
The incident occurred at approximately 20:53hrs, when the vessel was located close to Lome Port, Togo, at position 05°10’N, 001°23’E.
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 of the ENDO PONENTE have retreated to the Citadel in line with international best practice for ship security.
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 agency’s C4i Centre is working closely with the Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade (MDAT) Gulf of Guinea Watchkeepers to monitor the situation.
The Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, has reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to regional maritime security cooperation.
“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,” he stated.
The ENDO PONENTE, a moderate-risk Maltese-flagged chemical tanker, operates across West, Central, and Southern African regions.
Its last port call was at Kalamu, Democratic Republic of Congo. The incident is currently under investigation, and NIMASA is working to ensure the safe resolution of the situation.
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