Piracy: NIMASA dispatches deep blue vessel on rescue mission in Togo waters

 Maureen Aguta

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has disclosed that against the backdrop of a maritime incident alert its C4i Centre received from the Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade (MDAT) Gulf of Guinea Watchkeepers 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, it has dispatched its rescue vessel to pursue the pirates.

A statement by the Deputy Director/Head Public Relations, NIMASA, Edward Osagie disclosed that 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.

“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.

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 commitment Nigerian maritime administration 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.