Ship Collision: Torukongo Communities Petition IMO, Accuse NIMASA, Maersk of Abandonment
By Frontline Reporters
The Torukongo Community Union, representing the Ikpokiri/Torukongo Coastal Communities of Ogu Creek and the Bonny Channel in Rivers State, has petitioned the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) over the alleged failure of Nigerian authorities and shipping companies to address the environmental and economic consequences of a vessel collision in the area.
In a petition dated August 6, 2026 and addressed to IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez, the community called for urgent international intervention over the May 20 collision between MV Maersk Valparaiso and MT Lady Martina in the Bonny Channel. The union alleged that the incident polluted the waterways and caused extensive damage to the marine ecosystem, mangroves, fish ponds and fishing equipment, leaving fishermen and women without their means of livelihood.
The petition was signed by HRH Amb. Victor K.I. Nangibo De I, JP, Paramount Ruler of the Ikpokiri/Torukongo Coastal Communities in Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area and Chairman of the Union’s Board of Trustees. The community accused the Nigerian Maritime Safety Administration (NIMASA), which it said was investigating the incident, of failing to act on assurances of environmental clean-up and compensation for the affected communities.
According to the union, more than three months after the collision, affected residents were still counting their losses while the condition of the waterways continued to deteriorate. It alleged that relevant authorities, including the Presidency and shipping companies involved, had been informed of the incident, while a list of affected fishermen and women had also been submitted to the companies and NIMASA.
“We write to you this letter to use your good office to compel the shipping companies to do the needful as the condition of the ecosystem, the fishermen and the women is getting worse every day. We also need immediate cleanup of the river to avoid more damages,” the community stated in the petition.
The union said it had exhausted local avenues of engagement, including an earlier SOS letter to Hadiza Bala Usman, before seeking the intervention of the IMO. It demanded that Maersk Line and Blue Dolphin Petroleum Limited be sanctioned, including the withdrawal of their membership, and called for the prosecution of those it holds responsible for the alleged failure to compensate affected communities and clean up the polluted waterways.
The community said its petition included correspondence and a list of affected fishermen, but stressed that the documented losses did not cover the damage allegedly suffered by fish ponds, mangroves and the wider ecosystem. It urged immediate action to prevent further environmental degradation and worsening hardship among the affected coastal communities.
As of press time, NIMASA, Maersk Line and Blue Dolphin Petroleum Limited had not responded to the allegations contained in the petition.
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