At least 10 youths are feared dead following a fatal boat capsize in Rivers State, amid an escalating community confrontation over an unresolved offshore oil spill at Oil Mining Lease (OML) 55.
The tragedy unfolded in Kula Kingdom, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area, where community youths and local leaders had mounted a waterborne blockade against the MT Anambra Basin, a Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) vessel operated in connection with the oilfield.
According to community sources and Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) chieftain Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, local residents staged the blockade to protest severe environmental degradation along the Kula River and Robert Creek, alongside about 18 months of unpaid contractor debts, unremitted royalties, and the lack of comprehensive environmental remediation.
Tensions boiled over when a contractor attempted to move the crude oil storage vessel out of the area under the escort of armed men in military uniform aboard gunboats. Local youths in a wooden craft intercepted the convoy to challenge the vessel’s removal prior to resolving their spill and compensation grievances.
During the confrontation, the community craft was overturned. Community leaders reported that approximately 10 youths drowned in the turbulent waters, while the security escorts subsequently disengaged from the immediate scene.
The Rivers State Police Command confirmed that lives were lost during the incident. Police spokesperson ASP Blessing Agabe stated that a formal investigation has been launched to determine the precise circumstances surrounding the boat capsize in Kula Rivers and establish the verified casualty figure.
Spokesperson for the Nigerian Army’s 6 Division in Port Harcourt, Lt. Col. Danjuma Jonah Danjuma (Umar), also confirmed that military authorities are conducting internal inquiries regarding the deployment and the alleged clash, while local search-and-recovery teams continue maritime sweeps across Kula waterways to locate missing victims.
