By BONIFACE AKARAH

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has confirmed the detention of two vessels over non-compliance with maritime regulations, clarifying that three others earlier listed were operating in compliance with the law.

In a statement dated October 22, 2026, signed by Osagie Edward, Deputy Director and Head of Public Relations, the agency said only MT Holmes and MT Sabeak were detained during Operation Sea Guardian, a targeted maritime enforcement exercise.

“Contrary to our earlier statement, MT FUJAIRAH ENERGY, JS GRATITUDE and MT BORA were not detained as they were in full compliance with the Cabotage Act and other extant regulations,” NIMASA said.

The agency confirmed that “MT Holmes and MT Sabeak were the vessels detained for noncompliance.”

Explaining the reason for issuing the clarification, NIMASA said: “This statement has been released for transparency purposes while the inconvenience caused the affected vessels and their owners by the mix up is regretted.”

Operation Sea Guardian was conducted to strengthen regulatory compliance, verify cabotage obligations, assess surcharge and levy compliance, and ensure adherence to applicable maritime regulations in Nigerian waters.

According to the agency, the operation was a “follow-up enforcement initiative aimed at strengthening regulatory compliance, verifying cabotage obligations, assessing surcharge and levy compliance, and ensuring adherence to applicable maritime regulations.”

The exercise deployed Deep Blue assets to track, board, inspect and verify the operational status of vessels identified through intelligence reports and compliance indicators.

NIMASA said the operation involved “effective inter-agency cooperation among NIMASA enforcement personnel, the Nigerian Navy, the Maritime Guard Command and C4i intelligence personnel.”

The agency’s clarification brings the number of vessels confirmed detained during the operation to two, while the other three named vessels have been cleared of the earlier detention report.

The exercise forms part of NIMASA’s efforts to strengthen enforcement of the Cabotage Act and other applicable maritime regulations governing operations in Nigerian waters.