10 Persons Feared Drowned as Gunboats Intervene in Faceoff Over Oil Pollution in Kula, Rivers State

At least ten persons are feared drowned after falling off a boat in Kula community, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The incident occurred in the creeks during a confrontation between some residents of the community and suspected military personnel on six gunboats.

A community leader and Ijaw elder statesman, ANABS SARA-IGBE, said the incident followed a dispute over an oil spill at Oil Mining Lease (OML) 55 in Kula.

SARA-IGBE, who is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, said the alleged spill involved an oil storage vessel belonging to Cletus Ibeto company.

SARA-IGBE said the vessel was engaged by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company and Belema Oil Joint Venture two years ago for an operation in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State.

In a voice note shared with this media outfit, SARA-IGBE said the community people had demanded the employment their people and compensation from the vessel owners for the alleged oil spill.

He said the company had earlier agreed to pay the compensation but later reneged, adding that the situation escalated after six gunboats arrived at the location to forcefully remove the floating storage platform, which was resisted by the community people.

His Highness ANABS SARA-IGBE said while a search was ongoing to recover the bodies of those who fell of the boat, he contacted authorities of the Six Division of the Nigerian Army at Bori Camp in Port Harcourt, but they denied knowledge of the deployment of six gunboats in the area.

Neither Cletus Ibeto company nor the NNPC-Belema Oil Joint Venture partners have issued a statement regarding the incident at Kula community in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State.