NIMASA detains vessels over cabotage violations

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has detained multiple vessels for alleged non-compliance with cabotage regulations during a recent enforcement operation in Nigerian waters. Deputy Director and Head of Public Relations at NIMASA, Osagie Edward, revealed that the targeted operation, Operation Sea Guardian, focused on vessels identified through intelligence and surveillance profiling.

Vessels such as MT HOLMES, MT FUJAIRAH ENERGY, JS GRATITUDE, and MT BORA were among those detained within the Lagos maritime domain. Some of the detained vessels have since been released following their regularization of infractions. Operation Sea Guardian is a follow-up enforcement initiative aimed at strengthening regulatory compliance and assessing surcharge and levy compliance.

The operation involved the deployment of Deep Blue assets and collaboration among NIMASA, the Nigerian Navy, the Maritime Guard Command, and C4i intelligence personnel. The updated target bank established during the first enforcement operation serves as a consolidated reference for planning future enforcement activities. The Director-General of NIMASA, Dr Dayo Mobereola, stated that such operations would become more frequent, warning that defaulting operators will face sanctions in accordance with the law.