The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) has called for an investigation into a boat capsize in Kula Kingdom, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, following a reported clash over the blockade of an offshore crude oil vessel.
The organisation said at least 10 persons were feared dead in the incident, which reportedly occurred on October 20, 2026, amid protests over an alleged oil spill, unpaid debts and perceived neglect by the Ibeto Group.
Reacting on the issue on Wednesday in Port Harcourt, the Executive Director of YEAC-Nigeria, Dr Fyneface Fyneface, said community sources reported that Kula youths and leaders had barricaded the vessel, Anambra Basin, linked to the Ibeto Group’s operations at Oil Mining Lease (OML) 55.
The blockade was reportedly aimed at drawing attention to an unresolved oil spill in the Kula River and alleged 18-month delays in settling debts owed to local vendors and contractors.
According to the organisation, tension escalated when armed military personnel arrived in gunboats to clear the blockade and facilitate the vessel’s movement, allegedly leading to resistance from community members and the eventual capsize of a community boat.
YEAC-Nigeria said community leaders, including Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, had put the number of persons feared dead at 10, while the Rivers State Police Command had reportedly commenced an investigation into the incident.
Expressing concern over the development, Fyneface acknowledged the right of host communities to protest peacefully against environmental pollution and demand corporate accountability but condemned the militarisation of civil disputes in the oil and gas sector.
He called on the Rivers State Police Command and the Nigerian Navy to conduct a transparent investigation into the immediate and underlying causes of the boat capsize, including the circumstances surrounding the deployment of security personnel.
The organisation also urged the Rivers State Government, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and the company to intensify search, rescue and recovery efforts and provide emergency assistance to affected families.
YEAC-Nigeria further appealed to the Ibeto Group and security agencies to embrace dialogue in resolving the community’s grievances rather than resorting to force.
It urged the company to address the alleged oil spill in the Kula River and settle verified debts owed to local vendors and contractors.
Describing the incident as another avoidable tragedy in the Niger Delta, the organisation said no crude oil vessel was worth the loss of community lives.
It also called for calm in Kula and urged youth leaders, including the National Youth Council of Nigeria, which reportedly intervened in the dispute, to sustain peace while efforts to secure justice and accountability continued.
The organisation extended its condolences to the families of those feared dead.
