At 20:53 hours on Thursday, 28th August 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 Watchkeepers concerning an attempted boarding of the Malta-flagged chemical tanker, ENDO PONENTE.
The incident occurred at position 05°10’N, 001°23’E, in the vicinity of Lome Port, Togo.
Subsequent intelligence gathered by the C4i Centre placed the vessel at 04°19’16”N, 01°35’59”E, within Ghana’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
In immediate response, the NIMASA Special Mission Vessel DB Lagos — operated by the Nigerian Navy under the Deep Blue Project — was dispatched and is presently closing in on the distressed tanker.
The crew of the ENDO PONENTE have taken refuge in the Citadel, in accordance with international best practices for maritime security.
NIMASA said it is actively coordinating with the Nigerian Navy and other regional maritime security agencies to ensure the safety of the crew while supporting ongoing investigations into the attempted attack.
Commenting on the development, the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr Dayo Mobereola, reaffirmed the Agency’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding maritime trade and strengthening regional collaboration.
“NIMASA remains committed to enhancing security cooperation across the Gulf of Guinea, to protect seafarers, deter criminality, and promote safer maritime trade — leveraging the robust capabilities of the Deep Blue Project,” he said.
The ENDO PONENTE, a Maltese-flagged moderate-risk chemical tanker, regularly operates across the West, Central, and Southern African maritime corridors. Its last recorded port call was at Kalamu, Democratic Republic of Congo.
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