The anger in Kula Kingdom, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, boiled over on Thursday when grieving residents took five recovered bodies of victims of a boat mishap to Government House, Port Harcourt, to demand justice over the tragedy.
Five other persons who were aboard the boat when it capsized at Robertkiri on Tuesday night remained missing as of Thursday evening.
The dramatic protest was intended to compel the Rivers State Government to appreciate the gravity of the incident and intervene in the dispute that preceded it. Anabs Sara-Igbe, an illustrious son of Kula, said the community brought the corpses to Government House to draw attention to the human cost of the crisis involving oil operations in the area.
The protesters were received by Sunny Ewule, Chief of Staff to the Governor, who sympathised with them over the loss of lives. Ewule appealed for calm and assured the community that the government would investigate the incident and ensure that justice was done.
But behind the grim procession of bodies lies a deeper conflict involving alleged environmental pollution, unpaid service providers, a disputed oilfield operation and the controversial attempt to retrieve a vessel reportedly held by the community.
The boat mishap occurred on Tuesday night amid a confrontation linked to efforts to remove an oil vessel from Robertkiri. Community members had reportedly held the vessel to press their demands for compensation over alleged pollution of their waters and environment, remediation of the affected area and settlement of vendors who claimed to have provided services to the operators.
Sara-Igbe blamed the deaths on the alleged failure of the company involved to resolve the oil spill dispute peacefully and commence remediation.
The circumstances surrounding the capsizing, however, remain unclear. Questions have also arisen over the alleged deployment of armed personnel to facilitate the vessel’s removal and the sequence of events that led to the reported deaths.
Amid the growing outrage, Max Shipping Services Limited, the owner of the vessel, has expressed sadness over the incident while denying responsibility for the underlying petroleum operations and community dispute.
In a statement dated October 21, 2026, and signed by its legal officer, Ikeh Chidimma Sylvia, the company said its involvement in the area was limited to owning and retrieving its vessel, ANAMBRA BASIN FSO, which it had hired to Menal Technical Services Limited.
The company said the incident occurred against the background of a dispute over oilfield operations at Oil Mining Lease 55 (OML 55), following an alleged oil spill and the community’s efforts to halt further operations pending remediation and compensation.
Max Shipping expressed concern over reports linking the retrieval exercise to the alleged deployment of armed personnel and the subsequent capsizing of the community boat. It said ownership of the vessel should not be construed as responsibility for the petroleum operations or community-related arrangements at the location.
According to the company, its contractual relationship was with Menal Technical Services Limited under a Marine Equipment Hire Agreement dated September 20, 2024, subsequently amended by an addendum.
It claimed that Menal had assumed specified responsibilities concerning operational exigencies, community settlements, security for the vessel and personnel, and demobilisation.
Max Shipping said it initiated the retrieval of its equipment after prolonged outstanding hire payments and repeated unsuccessful attempts to obtain settlement.
The company further maintained that the crude oil stored in the vessel had been discharged before the demobilisation exercise. It cited tank inspection documents issued by Checkirem and GSV Inspection Services Limited in September 2026 in support of its claim.
It also said its representatives had held several meetings with community leaders in an attempt to resolve the disagreement peacefully and explain its contractual relationship with Menal.
The shipping company expressed concern over reports attributing responsibility for the incident and the alleged loss of lives to its chairman, Cletus Ibeto.
It insisted that the operational activities of Menal and the end user must be distinguished from its ownership of the vessel.
“We are deeply saddened by reports that a community boat capsized and that allegedly lives may have been lost,” the statement said, acknowledging the distress of families waiting for news about their missing relatives.
The company called on the relevant security authorities to investigate the incident and take necessary lawful steps to protect human life and prevent a recurrence. It also appealed to all parties to remain calm, refrain from violence and allow the authorities to establish the facts.
The statement, however, did not resolve the central questions arising from the tragedy: what exactly happened during the vessel retrieval operation, who authorised or carried out the alleged deployment of armed personnel, and whether the confrontation could have been prevented through a peaceful resolution of the community’s grievances.
For the families of the dead and the relatives of the five persons still missing, the immediate concern is the recovery of their loved ones and an explanation of how the confrontation ended in tragedy.
For Kula, the incident has exposed the potentially deadly consequences of unresolved disputes between host communities and operators in the oil-producing Niger Delta, where environmental concerns, compensation claims and questions of corporate responsibility have repeatedly strained relations.
The Rivers State Government has promised an investigation. The credibility of that inquiry will depend on its ability to establish the sequence of events, identify the parties involved and determine responsibility without prejudice.
Emmanuel Obe
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