Gulf of Guinea: NIMASA confirms pirates attack on MV ORAGE FROS, says attack not in Nigerian waters

By Seun Ibiyemi

A commercial cargo vessel, MV ORAGE FROST, came under a suspected pirate attack on Friday, May 30, 2025, in the volatile waters of the Gulf of Guinea, maritime authorities have confirmed.

According to statement made available by Head, Public Relations, NIMASA, Osagie Edward, FNIPR read that the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) received a distress alert at approximately 1614 UTC through the Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade – Gulf of Guinea (MDAT-GoG) platform.

The alert reported a potential pirate attack at coordinates 2°37’35”N, 6°46’47”E — roughly 75 nautical miles northwest of Santo Antonio Port, São Tomé and Príncipe, and about 420 nautical miles from southeast Nigeria.

Preliminary investigations have identified the targeted vessel as the MV ORAGE FROST, a Curaçao-flagged general cargo ship bearing IMO Number 9797656. At the time of the incident, the vessel had recently departed from Douala, Cameroon, and was headed to Matadi, Congo, following its regular trade route between Cameroon, Togo, Ghana, and Benin.

NIMASA, in collaboration with the Nigerian Navy and regional maritime security agencies, has launched an immediate response operation to ensure the safety of the vessel’s crew and to investigate the incident.

“We remain committed to regional maritime security cooperation to enhance safety and deter criminal activity in Nigerian waters and across the Gulf of Guinea,” a NIMASA spokesperson stated, citing the agency’s ongoing efforts under the Deep Blue Project.

The Gulf of Guinea remains one of the world's most piracy-prone maritime regions, despite recent multinational efforts to curb attacks.

The latest incident underscores the persistent threat to commercial shipping and the need for sustained regional and international cooperation.