Details have emerged on how Kula youths died at the bottom of the sea close to the Atlantic Ocean in an encounter with a vessel belonging to the Ibeto group.
Cries rang out in the week that a speed boat carrying 15 Kula youths of Akuku-Toru LGA of Rivers State, a town next to the Ocean, was crushed by a vessel which the youths attempted to stop from sailing out. The vessel known as Anambra FSO was said to be laden with 200,000 barrels of crude oil. The youths had many reasons to block the vessel, but about 10 of them ended up dead.
BusinessDay has been digging into what really happened that fateful Tuesday afternoon in the sea.
Kula community delegation at the Government House in Port Harcourt
Youths and vigilante members guarding the river
The Rivers State government has however stepped into the raucous, vowing to deal ruthlessly with anyone found liable in the deaths.
Gov Sim Fubara said 10 persons were killed and vowed to get to the root of the circumstances.
Gov Fubara gave the assurance on Thursday, October 22, 2026, when the people of Kula Community staged a peaceful march to Government House, Port Harcourt, carrying some of the corpses.
The governor, who was represented by Sunny Ewule, his Chief of Staff, sympathised with the bereaved families and appealed to the people to remain calm and avoid taking the laws into their own hands.
He assured the people of Kula that all those allegedly involved in the act that led to the death of their kinsmen would face the full wrath of the law.
The monstrous vessel
According to the Governor, death is a serious matter, and the Rivers State Government would not rest until it got to the bottom of the matter. ‘We are not going to sit by and allow Rivers indigenes go through this type of unnecessary death.’
Earlier, Anabs Sara-Igbe, a high chief and leader of the Kula Community to the Government House, said they were there to formally complain about the unfortunate incident and seek the government’s intervention.
‘It is proper we inform him (Fubara) because we don’t want to take the laws into our hands. We have the capacity to react but we don’t want to react,’ he said.
Boats and vessel
What Kula community claimed:
The community had raised alarm on Thursday, saying rescue efforts were underway to recover bodies of seven persons drowned at the Robertkiri waterways in Kula following a mishap involving a tugboat and a speedboat carrying over 15 persons.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, 20th October 2026, when a tugboat escorted by military personnel attempted to pull out a 200,000-barrel capacity oil vessel operated by the Ibeto Group after two years of operating in the area.
The victims include Davies Opiri (the Secretary of the Kula CDC) and two members of a local security outfit known as Amama Soldiers whose identity were yet to be known.
Others were named as David Sukubo, Endwell Ameme, Aboy Umeonu and Nye Oriye. They were said to be protesting members of Kula satellite communities and fishing settlements who had vowed to prevent the oil vessel from sailing out of their coastal waters until matters with the company were resolved.
They alleged that the Ibeto Group polluted their waterways, fishing ports and creeks, refused to pay local vendors, and allegedly failed to pay royalties due to the host communities in the course of its operations in the area.
The community said eight persons were rescued alive from the boat mishap. The search and rescue team, which included the DPO of Abonnema Police Division; Sukubu Sara-Igbe Sukubo, the President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, chiefs and other indigenes of Kula, searched through creeks and water bodies where the incident occurred, they added.
The statement said they, however, were unable to find the bodies of any of the victims 24 hours after the incident.
One of the survivors, Gibert Pokubo, blamed military personnel attached to the tugboat for the incident.
He alleged that the military acted on the instruction of the Ibeto Group to forcefully pull out the oil vessel from the area and crush any obstable on their way.
One of the leaders of the search and rescue team, Jonah Joshua, expressed hope of recovering the bodies of all the victims.
He said the Ibeto Group and personnel of the Sector 3 Command Okrika of the Nigeria Army involved should be held responsible for what he described as avoidable deaths of the innocent persons.
A relative of one of the victims, Stephen Willbraide, said the wife, children and other family members of the deceased are deeply saddened and devastated by the incident.
He demanded a thorough investigation and justice in the matter.
The search and rescue operation continue today to recover the remains of the 7 victims.
Kula community gather beside the waters to receive corpses
Ibeto reacts, denies responsibility:
Ibeto group, in an unsigned and unauthored statement sent to media houses through an aide Thursday morning said Max Shipping Services Limited, a company in its group, noted with deep concern recent media reports concerning an incident at Kula community, Rivers State, involving its vessel, ANAMBRA BASIN FSO. ‘The reports contain allegations linking the vessel’s recovery operation to an oil spill, the deployment of armed personnel allegedly authorised by Chief Dr. Cletus Ibeto, and a boat capsizing in which several persons are feared to have lost their lives.’
From the statement, it was clear that Ibeto owns Max Shipping, while Max Shipping owns Anambra Basin FSO (vessel) which they hired out to Menal Technical Services Ltd to execute the job in Kula. This may have made the Kula community to see and know no other company than Ibeto.
The statement went on: ‘In view of the seriousness of these allegations, we consider it necessary to clarify the facts concerning our company’s involvement.
‘First, Max Shipping Services Limited is the owner of ANAMBRA BASIN FSO, not the operator of the oilfield or the underlying petroleum operations at Kula community. The vessel was hired to Menal Technical Services Limited under a Marine Equipment Hire Agreement dated 20 September 2024, subsequently amended by an Addendum.
‘Our company’s contractual relationship in respect of the vessel was with Menal Technical Services Limited. We were not a party to the separate operational arrangements that Menal or the end user may have had with the host community.
‘Under the ‘Hire Agreement’, Menal Technical Services Limited assumed specified responsibilities relating to operational exigencies, community settlements, security of the vessel and personnel, and demobilisation.
‘Following prolonged outstanding hire payments and repeated efforts to obtain settlement, Max Shipping Services Limited exercised its contractual right to retrieve its equipment.’
Before the demobilisation effort, the statement added, the crude oil stored in the vessel had been discharged. ‘Tank inspection documents issued by Checkirem and GSV Inspection Services Limited in September 2026 recorded that the inspected tanks were free and clean of crude oil at the time of inspection. These records form part of the documentary evidence being preserved for the relevant authorities.
‘We also made repeated efforts to resolve the situation peacefully. Our representatives met with community leaders and representatives on several occasions to explain the nature of our company’s contractual relationship with Menal Technical Services Limited, clarify that we were seeking to retrieve our own equipment, and address any misunderstanding concerning our role at the location. We sought a peaceful resolution rather than confrontation.
‘We are therefore deeply concerned by reports that have attributed responsibility for the incident and the alleged loss of life to our Chairman, Chief Dr. Cletus Madubugwu Ibeto, or have presented the vessel’s recovery operation as an operation undertaken by him in connection with the underlying oilfield activities.’
The vessel, ANAMBRA BASIN FSO, the statement said, is owned by Max Shipping Services Limited, a subsidiary of Ibeto Group, and was hired to Menal Technical Services Limited for deployment at the location.
‘The vessel’s ownership must be distinguished from the separate petroleum operations and community-related arrangements at Kula Community. Under the contractual arrangement, Menal Technical Services Limited, as the Hirer, was responsible for the vessel’s operations at the location, including the relevant operational arrangements and community-related obligations, in conjunction with the end user, as applicable.’
Accordingly, they said, the operational activities and arrangements undertaken by the Hirer and the end user in connection with the petroleum operations at the location should not be conflated with the ownership of the vessel.
‘We are deeply saddened by reports that a community boat capsized and that allegedly lives may have been lost. We recognise the distress and uncertainty experienced by those awaiting confirmation of the whereabouts and condition of their loved ones and as the circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear, we pray that the relevant security authorities investigate the incident and take all necessary lawful steps to protect human life and prevent further incidents.
‘We appeal to all parties to remain calm, refrain from violence, and allow the competent authorities to determine the facts.’
Max Shipping Services Limited was said to have always maintained cordial and peaceful relationships with its host community and neighbouring communities within its own areas of operation, supported by constructive community engagement and social responsibility initiatives.
They said the Company remained committed to fostering mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and positive relationships with the communities.
Max urged the media and the public to distinguish between the vessel’s ownership, the contractual responsibilities of its hirer, and the separate operations and arrangements at the oilfield. ‘Serious allegations should be based on verified facts, not assumptions.’
How the crushing and drowning took place:
BusinessDay deep inquiries and findings revealed that the NNPC/Belema JV awarded crude oil evacuation job to Max Shipping Ltd belonging to Ibeto Group since past few years.
The Kula community and their satellite settlements were said to have demanded for rights and host status in the evacuation jobs. The demand was said to have dragged on.
Max was said to have, however, given out some supply jobs to some Kula community vendors but the community claims they owed over the years.
Max hired out their vessel, Anambra Basin FSO to Penal Technical Services Ltd (hirer) to execute the job. The NNPC/Belema was said to have been unsatisfied with the services especially pollution issues and thus terminated the Max contract.
The community was said to have insisted that the vessel must leave their area until they were compensated for pollution, payment to community vendors, etc.
BusinessDay gathered that negotiations with the community continued at Ibeto office in GRA Port Harcourt. A source at the meetings told BusinessDay that as far as they were concerned, they were negotiating with Ibeto.
The source said they were surprised that while the negotiations were still ongoing, Ibeto through Max brought in the Army and attempted to pullout and go.
Community youths and vigilante team were said to have mobilized and intercepted the move and stopped them.
The vessel was described as very massive, but not self-propelled. It required two tug-boats to pull it along; one in front, one to push it at the back. Long ropes were tied to the sides of the vessel.
An army unit was procured to escort the vessel of the Kula waters. On the other hand, the Kula youths in their fast boat stayed at the side of the massive vessel, stopping it from going.
A source said at a point, the commander of the Army unit shouted order for the tugboat to pull. As it pulled, it was gathered that the rope stretched and threw the fastboat into the air and slammed it into the water (sea). The 15 youths allegedly slammed into the bottom of the sea, to the bottom of the vessel. Tragedy thus struck.
It was gathered that it was Community members that mobilized for rescue; they went to work and rescued some of the victims.
Eye witnesses said it must be the propeller of the fast boat that slashed at the victims. The bottom of the vessel was far into the water, and the youths were pushed there.
The rescue effort was said to find eight alive while seven were missing until five bodies were allegedly later found, still leaving two yet to be found.
Ibeto and Max insist that it is Penal Technicals Ltd (the hirer) that had any obligations and responsibilities with the Kula Community, but community sources insist that they had nothing to do with Penal but with Max for Ibeto.
On why the community youths chose the waterways to protest, a source said riverine people protest in the waters, not on land because they have no land like the upland people. On why the youths chose action instead of meetings with the company, the source said they had made several efforts and in fact were still in meetings in Port Harcourt when news came that the vessel was being pullout out. The source said the youths were given no option than to stage action.
Efforts to get reactions of the Army unit that was in charge of the escort duty have so far proved abortive.