By Ephraim Emmanuel
The Rivers State Government has ordered a thorough investigation into the boat tragedy that claimed the lives of 10 protesters from Kula Kingdom in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara gave the order on Thursday, October 23, 2026, when members of Kula community staged a peaceful protest to Government House, Port Harcourt, demanding justice for the deceased.The Governor, represented by his Chief of Staff, Sunny Ewule, Esq, expressed deep sympathy with the bereaved families and the entire Kula Kingdom over the loss.
“We want to sympathise with the Kula Community and the bereaved families. Anybody who is involved in this incident or found culpable for whatever happened will definitely pay for it according to the law. We are not going to sit by and allow Rivers indigenes to go through this type of unnecessary death,” the Governor said.
It will be recalled that on Tuesday, October 20, a community boat conveying about 15 youths capsized along the Robertkiri waterways, OML 55, after it was allegedly rammed by a gunboat.
Community sources said Kula youths had barricaded the waterways to prevent the exit of an oil storage vessel, MV ANAMBRA BASIN FSO, belonging to Chief Cletus Ibeto, over an unresolved oil spillage, non-payment of 18 months debts to local vendors for diesel, water and catering services, and failure to employ indigenes.
Tension escalated when six gunboats with men in military uniform arrived to forcefully retrieve the vessel, leading to a confrontation. Leader of the protesting delegation and elder statesman, High Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, told the Government that the community has the capacity to react but chose to follow the path of law.
“It is proper we inform him because we don’t want to take the law into our own hands. We have the capacity to react, but we don’t want to react,” Sara-Igbe said.
As at Thursday evening, five bodies have been recovered from the river, while search continues for the remaining five. The bodies were brought to Government House and the Police Headquarters during the protest onThursday for documentation.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Police Command has called on the people of Kula Kingdom in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area and all those who lost their loved ones in the recent boat mishap not to take the laws into their own hands.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, made the appeal while receiving five corpses brought to the Force Headquarters, Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, by protesting youths of Kula and family members of the victims.
The corpses were led to the Police Headquarters by the President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Amb. Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo. Represented by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Operations, ACP Okoro Iyke, the Commissioner commended the youths of Kula for maintaining calm despite the painful loss, describing their conduct as mature and law-abiding.
He commiserated with the families of those who lost their loved ones in the Robertkiri boat mishap and urged them to seek redress through legal and legitimate channels.
“The Command understands your pains and we share in your grief. But we appeal to you not to take laws into your hands. We urge you to seek redress in court and allow the law to take its course,” he said.
CP Adepoju assured the community that the Command is ready to act accordingly in line with the law and that thorough investigation is ongoing to establish the circumstances that led to the death of the 10 youths.He said anyone found culpable, no matter how highly placed, will be made to face the law.
The Chairman of Akuku-Toru LGA, Hon. Bob Fubara, has also commiserated with the families and appealed for calm.
