At 20:53 UTC on Thursday, August 28, 2025, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency’s (NIMASA) C4i Centre received an alert from the Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade (MDAT) Gulf of Guinea Watchkeepers about an attempted piracy attack on the Malta-flagged chemical tanker, ENDO PONENTE. The incident occurred near Lome Port, Togo, at coordinates 05°10’N, 001°23’E.
According to a statement signed by the DDPR/Head, Public Relations, Mr. Osagie Edward, FNIPR, subsequent intelligence from the C4i Centre placed the vessel at 04°19’16”N, 01°35’59”E, within Ghana’s Exclusive Economic Zone. The vessel was immediately targeted for a rescue operation, with NIMASA’s Special Mission Vessel DB Lagos, operated by the Nigerian Navy as part of the Deep Blue Project, dispatched to the scene.
The DB Lagos is actively approaching the distressed vessel to provide assistance and ensure the safety of its crew.
The crew 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.
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.