Boat Capsizes in Rivers State: 10 Dead, Governor Promises Investigation

Ten people are reported dead after a boat capsized during a clash over the removal of an oil vessel in Kula Kingdom, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The Rivers State Police Command confirmed the incident. They are still investigating to find out the exact number of casualties and what really happened, according to The Guardian on Friday.

This tragedy took place on Tuesday evening. It happened amid arguments over the planned removal of the Anambra Basin FSO, a floating storage and offloading vessel owned by Max Shipping Services Limited.

Community members opposed the vessel’s removal. They pointed to an alleged oil spill and demanded the company clean up the area and pay compensation.

Sukubo Sara-Igbe, a Kula native and president of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, told The Guardian that six gunboats arrived during the operation. A boat carrying community members capsized during the conflict.

Fubara Promises Justice

Governor Fubara promised that anyone responsible for the “death of 10 persons” would face justice. This was stated in a message from the Rivers State Government House emailed to PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday night.

The governor's Chief of Staff, Sunny Ewule, spoke on his behalf during a peaceful march by Kula residents to the Government House in Port Harcourt, asking for government action.

“We want to sympathise with the Kula Community and the bereaved families.

“Anyone involved in this incident or responsible for what happened will definitely be punished according to the law. We will not sit by and let Rivers indigenes suffer this kind of unnecessary death,” he said.

The governor urged community members to stay calm and not take the law into their own hands.

Before this, Anabs Sara-Igbe, the leader of the community delegation, said they went to the government because they wanted justice without violence.

“It is right we inform him (Fubara) because we don’t want to take the law into our hands. We have the ability to react, but we don’t want to react,” he said.

Vessel Owner Denies Responsibility

Max Shipping Services Limited, the owner of the vessel, expressed sadness over the reported deaths but said they are not responsible for the oilfield operations, as reported by The Guardian.

The company explained that the vessel was hired to Menal Technical Services Limited under a marine equipment hire agreement. The contractor had specific responsibilities about operations, community settlements, security, and demobilisation.

Max Shipping said it started retrieving the vessel after long delays in hire payments and failed attempts to reach a settlement. They also said that the crude oil stored in the vessel had been discharged before the retrieval began.

The investigation is still looking into the details of the confrontation and the capsizing of the boat.

Rivers’ Recurring Boat Tragedies

This latest incident adds to a series of deadly boat accidents in Rivers State.

In January 2025, police reported that three people, including a toddler, died when a passenger boat going from Port Harcourt to Bonny capsized during a storm. Nineteen passengers were rescued.

In January 2024, 11 people, including five infants, died when two boats capsized in Rivers State, according to PREMIUM TIMES.

This latest tragedy is different from those earlier incidents because it reportedly happened during a confrontation linked to the removal of an oil vessel and community complaints about possible environmental damage.

Authorities are expected to clarify what happened, confirm the number of casualties, and see if anyone should be held accountable.