BY FRONTLINE REPORTERS
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has activated an emergency situation monitoring room following a collision between a container vessel and an oil tanker at the Bonny Inner Anchorage of Onne Seaport in Rivers State.The maritime accident, which occurred at about 11:30 a.m. on May 20, 2026, involved MV MAERSK VALPARAISO, a Singapore-flagged container ship, and MT LADY MARTINA, a Nigerian-flagged oil products tanker, sparking an oil spill and triggering an immediate emergency response.According to a statement issued by NIMASA’s Deputy Director and Head of Public Relations, Osagie Edward, the Agency’s Deep Blue Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Bonny received a distress alert shortly after the collision.The statement disclosed that NIMASA swiftly deployed 10 armed operatives aboard interceptor boat DB 214 under the Deep Blue Project to secure the area and support rescue operations.Five crew members onboard MT Lady Martina reportedly sustained varying degrees of injuries and were evacuated to the FOB Bonny sickbay for urgent medical treatment.The impact of the collision forced MT Lady Martina ashore, leaving the vessel grounded along the Bonny Channel, while MV MAERSK VALPARAISO also remains stranded at the Bonny Inner Anchorage pending damage assessment and further investigation.NIMASA said the management of MAERSK formally reported the incident to the Agency, prompting the Director-General of NIMASA, Dayo Mobereola, to order a comprehensive investigation into both the immediate and underlying causes of the accident.As part of the emergency response, the Agency established a dedicated Situation Monitoring Room to coordinate rescue operations, monitor developments, and manage environmental response efforts arising from the incident.Mobereola, who personally visited Rivers State to inaugurate the monitoring room, also directed NIMASA’s Marine Environment Management Department to immediately commence an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the affected area.The Agency said urgent containment measures are already being implemented to mitigate the impact of the Tier 1 oil sheen and protect the marine ecosystem around the Bonny Channel.NIMASA assured the public that further updates, including the outcome of investigations into the collision, would be communicated as response efforts continue.
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