Eight people have been rescued alive as search efforts continue for passengers still missing after a boat mishap along the Robertkiri waterways in Kula, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The incident occurred on Tuesday evening during rising tensions over the movement of an oil vessel in the area. Initial reports indicated that more than 15 people were aboard a community boat that collided with a tugboat involved in efforts to move the vessel.

Also read: Police probe Rivers boat capsize as casualty figure remains unclear

A community source told journalists that police officers, traditional chiefs and other Kula indigenes had joined the search through creeks and waterways around the scene.

“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,” the source said.

The latest development comes as the casualty figure remains uncertain. The Rivers State Police Command confirmed that lives were lost but said investigations were continuing to establish the exact number of casualties and what led to the incident.

Police spokesperson Blessing Agabe, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, said there was no new information available as of Thursday morning, promising to provide an update if there was any development.

The incident occurred amid a dispute involving the movement of the ANAMBRA BASIN Floating Storage and Offloading vessel, linked to Ibeto Group.

Community members had reportedly protested over alleged pollution of waterways, unpaid debts to local vendors and contractors, and concerns about obligations to host communities.

Community accounts said the tension escalated after security personnel arrived in gunboats as efforts were made to move the oil vessel.

Reports of the confrontation have not yet been independently established in full, and authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the boat’s capsizing.

The incident has also triggered calls for a thorough investigation.

The chairman of Akuku-Toru Local Government Area, Aboiya-a Bob-Fubara, expressed sympathy for affected families and urged security agencies to establish what happened, particularly the circumstances surrounding the presence of gunboats in the area.

Meanwhile, Max Shipping Services Limited, a subsidiary of Ibeto Group and owner of the ANAMBRA BASIN FSO, has denied responsibility for the underlying oilfield operations or the circumstances that led to the boat incident.

In a statement signed by its legal adviser, Ikeh Chidimma Sylvia, the company said the vessel had been hired to Menal Technical Services Limited under a Marine Equipment Hire Agreement dated September 20, 2024, later amended by an addendum.

Max Shipping said its role was limited to ownership and retrieval of the vessel, insisting that ownership should not be confused with responsibility for petroleum operations and community-related arrangements at Kula.

The company said it sought to retrieve the vessel after prolonged outstanding hire payments and maintained that the crude previously stored aboard the vessel had been discharged before the demobilisation exercise.

It also said it had held meetings with community leaders in attempts to resolve the dispute peacefully.

“We are deeply saddened by reports that a community boat capsized and that allegedly lives may have been lost,” the company said, while urging all parties to remain calm and allow the competent authorities to determine the facts.

The company also expressed concern over reports linking its chairman, Chief Cletus Madubugwu Ibeto, to the deployment of armed personnel and the reported loss of lives.

The tragedy has renewed concerns over the handling of disputes between oil-producing communities and operators in the Niger Delta, where disagreements over environmental damage, compensation and local obligations have frequently generated tensions.

For now, families of the missing passengers are awaiting further information as rescue teams continue searching the waterways.