RIVERS STATE: The Rivers State Police Command has launched an investigation into a boat capsize in Kula, Rivers State, reportedly linked to a confrontation between youths and men in military uniform over an oil spill, with authorities yet to establish the exact number of casualties.
The incident reportedly occurred on Tuesday evening, October 20, 2026, when community members attempted to stop a contractor from continuing operations in the area pending the remediation of an oil-polluted environment and the payment of compensation.
According to reports, the dispute involved a businessman whose vessel was being used for contract work in the community. The situation allegedly escalated when men in uniform arrived in gunboats and attempted to move the vessel.
Youths from the community reportedly challenged the move, insisting that concerns over the oil spill, environmental damage and compensation should be addressed before operations continued.
During the confrontation, one of the gunboats allegedly struck a boat carrying some youths, causing it to capsize.
Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, a community leader and pioneer spokeswoman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), confirmed the incident in a telephone conversation with PUNCH on Tuesday night.
Sara-Igbe alleged that the arrival of the uniformed personnel worsened the situation and disrupted efforts to resolve the dispute peacefully.
He called on the police and other relevant security agencies to investigate the incident and establish the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
According to him, 10 people were feared dead, although the figure had not been independently confirmed by the authorities as of Wednesday morning.
Sara-Igbe also alleged that the uniformed personnel left the scene shortly after the incident.
On Wednesday, he condemned the reported loss of lives and said the community intended to take the victims’ bodies to government and security offices in Port Harcourt to draw attention to the incident.
He said the planned action was intended to ensure that the Rivers State Government and relevant security authorities were made aware of what had happened.
The Rivers State Police Command confirmed that it was aware of the incident but said investigations were ongoing to determine the actual number of casualties and establish how the boat capsized.
The command’s spokesperson, Assistant Superintendent of Police Blessing Agabe, disclosed this in a message to PUNCH on Wednesday morning.
Agabe said the incident occurred in Kula Kingdom, in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, and reportedly resulted in loss of lives.
She added that the police were investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and working to establish the exact casualty figure.
Meanwhile, the spokesman of the Nigerian Army’s 6 Division in Port Harcourt, Lieutenant Colonel Umar, said the division was not yet aware of the incident when contacted by the newspaper.
He, however, promised that inquiries would be made.
The incident has raised concerns over the reported confrontation between community members and uniformed personnel amid a dispute involving an oil spill, environmental remediation and compensation.
The circumstances surrounding the boat capsize, including the identities and roles of those involved, the sequence of events and the number of people who may have died, remain subject to investigation.
As of Wednesday, the police had not announced a final casualty figure or released the findings of their investigation.
