Eight people rescued as search goes on for missing boat passengers in Rivers

Rescue teams are working hard to find people who drowned in a boat accident on the Robertkiri waterways in Kula, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State. The search intensified on Thursday.

About ten people were feared dead after a tugboat and a speedboat, which was carrying over 15 people from the community, collided on Tuesday evening.

Reports say the tugboat was operated by some security personnel. It was trying to pull out a 200,000-barrel oil vessel owned by the Ibeto Group, which had been working in the area before the incident.

The victims were part of a protest against the departure of the oil vessel. They raised concerns about water pollution, unpaid debts to local vendors, and overdue royalties to the host communities.

On Wednesday, Blessing Agabe, the State Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed that lives were lost in the boat accident. She said, "Investigation is ongoing to ascertain the exact number of casualties and the circumstances surrounding the incident."

The community claims that the Ibeto Group's activities polluted their waterways, fishing ports, and creeks. They also accused the company of not paying local vendors and failing to pay royalties to the host communities.

A community source, who wanted to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the incident, said, "The search and rescue team, which included the police, chiefs, and other indigenes of Kula, searched through creeks and water bodies where the incident occurred."

"Eight persons were rescued alive from the boat mishap. However, they were unable to find the bodies of any of the victims as of Wednesday night," he said on Thursday morning.

When asked for an update on Thursday morning, Agabe, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, stated, "No new information for now. I will let you know if there is any development."

In response to the allegations, the Ibeto Group denied that its chairman, Dr. Cletus Ibeto, was directly responsible for the boat accident in Kuka community where some people are feared dead.

The company released a statement on Wednesday evening. They said reports connecting their vessel, 'Anambra Basin FSO', to an alleged oil spill and the boat accident included claims that needed proper investigation.

The statement, signed by its legal adviser, Ikeh Chidinma Sylvia, explained that while they own the vessel, they do not operate the oilfield or manage the petroleum operations in the community.

The statement mentioned that the vessel was hired to Menal Technical Services Limited under a Marine Equipment Hire Agreement dated September 20, 2024, which was later amended.

The company said it was trying to retrieve its equipment due to unpaid hire payments, adding that the crude oil stored in the vessel had been discharged before the retrieval effort.

The statement also said, "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, 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 statement further clarified that the operations and arrangements at Kula Community should not be mixed up with the ownership of the vessel. They said the hirer, Menal Technical Services Limited, was responsible for the vessel’s operations and community-related obligations.

The company expressed sadness over the boat capsizing and the loss of lives. They acknowledged the pain and worry felt by those waiting for news about their loved ones. They urged security authorities to investigate the incident and take necessary steps to protect lives and prevent future incidents.

Finally, the company urged everyone to remain calm, avoid violence, and let the proper authorities find the truth.