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• Vessel owners disown oilfield operations, blame hirer over debts
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Tony John, Port Harcourt
Tragedy struck Kula Kingdom in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State on Monday, October 20, following the capsize of a community boat during a clash over the blockade of an offshore crude oil vessel, leaving at least 10 persons feared dead.
The vessel, ANAMBRA BASIN Floating Storage and Offloading vessel, FSO, linked to Ibeto Group and operating at Oil Mining Lease, OML 55, was barricaded by youths and leaders of Kula in protest over an unresolved oil spill in Kula River, alleged 18 months of unpaid debts owed local vendors and contractors, and perceived neglect.
Community sources said tension escalated following the arrival of armed military personnel in gunboats to clear the blockade and enable the vessel to move, leading to resistance and the eventual capsize of a community boat.
Confirming the incident, the Rivers State Police Command said it has launched an investigation. Community leaders, including Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, put the casualty figure at 10 persons feared dead.
Reacting, the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, YEAC-Nigeria, condemned the incident and called for calm.
In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, YEAC-Nigeria said it received the reports with shock and was deeply concerned about the development.
The group said while it acknowledges the right of communities to peacefully protest environmental pollution and demand corporate accountability, it condemns any militarisation of civil oil and gas disputes that results in loss of lives.
The centre called for immediate and transparent investigation by the Police and the Nigerian Navy into the cause of the capsize and circumstances surrounding the military deployment.
It also called for intensified search, rescue and recovery efforts by the Rivers State Government, NIMASA, NIWA and the company, and for restraint and dialogue.
“No crude oil vessel is worth the blood of community people. The Niger Delta has seen too many avoidable deaths over oil,” YEAC-Nigeria stated.
It urged Ibeto Group to urgently address the root causes raised by the community, including oil spill remediation and settlement of verified local debts.
Meanwhile, Max Shipping Services Limited, owners of ANAMBRA BASIN FSO, has clarified its position, disowning responsibility for oilfield operations and the alleged spill.
In a statement signed by its Legal Officer, Ikeh Chidimma Sylvia, the company said it is the owner of the vessel, not the operator of the oilfield at Kula.
The company explained that the vessel was hired to Menal Technical Services Limited under a Marine Equipment Hire Agreement dated September 20, 2024, and that its contractual relationship was with Menal, not with the host community.
According to Max Shipping, Menal assumed responsibilities relating to operational exigencies, community settlements, security and demobilisation, adding that it exercised its contractual right to retrieve the vessel following prolonged outstanding hire payments.
It said before the demobilisation effort, crude stored in the vessel had been discharged, with tank inspection documents issued by Checkirem and GSV Inspection Services Limited in September 2026 showing tanks were free and clean of crude oil.
The company said it made repeated efforts to resolve the situation peacefully, meeting with community leaders to explain its role as equipment owner seeking to retrieve its property.
It expressed sadness over reports linking its Chairman, Chief Dr. Cletus Madubugwu Ibeto, to the deployment of armed personnel and the loss of lives, saying ownership of the vessel must be distinguished from petroleum operations and community-related arrangements.
“We are deeply saddened by reports that a community boat capsized and that allegedly lives may have been lost. We appeal to all parties to remain calm, refrain from violence, and allow competent authorities to determine the facts,” the company stated.
