The people of the Kula community in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State have seized an oil vessel and two tugboats linked to a boat disaster that claimed 10 lives at the Robertkiri axis of the coastal community.
The tugboats, identified as Delta Runner and Lorra Five, were reportedly seized as investigations into the incident continued, amid growing demands for accountability over the deaths.
The two captains of the tugboats were also reportedly arrested by the police, although the circumstances surrounding their arrest and the legal status of the vessels were not immediately clear.
The development followed a confrontation over the movement of the oil vessel, MT Anambra Basin, operated by the Ibeto Group, which community members had reportedly prevented from leaving the area.
The incident, which occurred last Tuesday, reportedly involved youths protesting alleged unpaid royalties, outstanding payments to vendors, and environmental pollution linked to oil operations at Oil Mining Lease 55 (OML-55).
During the confrontation, a boat carrying members of the community reportedly capsized, resulting in the deaths of 10 people.
The recovery of the last two bodies brought the search and rescue operation to a close, while attention shifted to determining the circumstances that led to the fatal incident and identifying those responsible.
The community’s search and rescue team leader, Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo, who is also president of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, accused the Ibeto Group of responsibility for the incident, alleging that the confrontation was deliberate.
Sukubo claimed that the group’s founder had previously threatened to deal with anyone who attempted to obstruct the vessel’s movement through the waterways. However, the allegation has not been independently established, and the police investigation is ongoing.
The incident reportedly occurred on October 20, when a speedboat conveying 15 people capsized during an operation to tow the oil storage vessel out of the community’s coastal waters. Eight occupants were rescued alive, while seven died, according to subsequent reports confirming the recovery of the last two bodies.
The vessel, Anambra Basin FSO, is owned by Max Shipping Services Limited, a subsidiary of the Ibeto Group. The company has denied direct responsibility for the confrontation, explaining that it hired the vessel to Menal Technical Services Limited and that the contractual arrangement assigned certain operational and community-related responsibilities to the hirer. It has called for an investigation into the incident.
Meanwhile, Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has vowed that his administration will ensure that anyone found culpable faces the law.
The governor gave the assurance on Thursday, October 22, when representatives of the Kula community visited Government House in Port Harcourt to demand justice for the victims.
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Sunny Ewule, Fubara sympathised with the bereaved families and urged residents to remain calm while the authorities investigated the matter.
He assured the delegation that the government would not allow the deaths to go unaddressed.
Earlier, community leader High Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe said the delegation had approached the government to formally report the incident and seek intervention, stressing that the community did not want to resort to self-help.
The Rivers State Police Command has also confirmed that it is investigating the incident to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths and determine responsibility.
The seizure of the vessel and tugboats adds another dimension to the dispute, with community members demanding justice for the victims and resolution of their longstanding grievances over alleged environmental pollution and outstanding financial obligations.
