Suspicious Approach on a Vessel near Lome, Togo

Incident Details

The MDAT-GoG has issued Advisory 25/010. On 10 May, a merchant vessel at anchor reported that a small craft with seven persons onboard circled the MV at night until it was illuminated with a floodlight and fled the scene. Approximately 24 hours later, the small craft approached the MV again, circled multiple times until it came alongside it. At this point, it was illuminated again, and the small craft left the area. Local Authorities are investigating the incident.

Fig1. Location of Incident – 8nm south of Lome, Togo. 

Comment. This is the first maritime security incident reported in Togo’s territorial waters for over four years and is indicative of an overall increase in criminal activity in the Gulf of Guinea (GOG) during 2025. So far, there have been eleven incidents reported this year, including three piracy and kidnap incidents, compared to five events during the same period in 2024

Assessment. It is possible that this incident is linked to a recent piracy incident that took place 16nm southwest of Accra, Ghana, when a Chinese fishing vessel was boarded by armed men who abducted three of the crew. The crew members were held for over a month in the Niger Delta before they were abandoned by the kidnappers. This may indicate that a Nigerian-based Pirate Action Group (PAG) is operating in the waters of neighbouring GOG countries. Ships are reminded to remain vigilant when operating in the area and to comply with the advice given in the BMP-Maritime Security bmp-ms_hi-res_s.pdf .