Oil Spill Scare As Two Vessels Collide At Bonny Anchorage, NIMASA Launches Full Investigation

Tension gripped Nigeria’s maritime corridor on Wednesday after a container vessel and an oil tanker collided at the Bonny Inner Anchorage in Rivers State, triggering an oil spill and prompting an emergency response from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

The incident, which occurred at about 11:30 a.m. on May 20, involved the Singapore-flagged container vessel, MV Maersk Valparaiso, and MT Lady Martina, a Nigerian-flagged oil products tanker, raising fresh concerns over navigational safety and environmental protection within Nigeria’s coastal waters.

According to NIMASA, the collision occurred around Latitude 4.512375 and Longitude 7.189429, resulting in a Tier 1 oil sheen within the affected area.

The Agency disclosed that the Deep Blue Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Bonny received a distress alert shortly after the incident and immediately deployed 10 armed personnel onboard interceptor boat DB 214 to the scene as part of emergency response operations under the Deep Blue Project.

Five crew members aboard MT Lady Martina sustained varying degrees of injuries during the collision and were swiftly evacuated to the FOB Bonny sickbay for urgent medical attention.

Preliminary findings revealed that following the impact, MT Lady Martina drifted ashore and ran aground along the Bonny Channel, while MV Maersk Valparaiso also remained grounded at the Bonny Inner Anchorage pending further assessment of the damage.

NIMASA confirmed that the management of MAERSK officially reported the incident to the Agency, prompting the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, to order a comprehensive investigation into both the immediate and underlying causes of the collision.

To strengthen response coordination, the Agency has established a Situation Monitoring Room to oversee developments arising from the incident and support emergency management efforts.

Dr. Mobereola, who personally visited Rivers State to inaugurate the monitoring centre, also directed NIMASA’s Marine Environment Management Department to immediately commence an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the affected area.

The Agency stated that necessary containment and mitigation measures are already underway to reduce the environmental impact of the oil spill and protect the marine ecosystem around the Bonny Channel.

The latest development has again highlighted the importance of maritime safety coordination and environmental preparedness within Nigeria’s busy shipping corridors, particularly around critical oil and commercial navigation routes.

NIMASA assured stakeholders and the general public that further updates, including the outcome of the ongoing investigations, would be communicated as the situation unfolds.