The crash at sea and the loss of about seven lives of Kula youths in Rivers State have pitched the community against the Ibeto Group.
The Kula community said they were yet to recover the bodies of seven youths including the youth leader, and blamed both Ibeto group and the Army in the area.
Ibeto, through Max Shipping Limited, denied having any hand in the sea crash, saying the vessel was on hire to another company.
A statement from Kula Thursday said rescue efforts were underway to recover the bodies of seven persons drowned at the Robertkiri waterways in Kula area, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, following a mishap involving a tugboat and a speedboat carrying over 15 Kula youths.
The incident was said to have occurred on Tuesday when a tugboat allegedly escorted by military personnel attempted to pull out a 200,000-barrel capacity oil vessel said to be operated by the Ibeto Group after operating for two years in the area.
The victims are said to include Davies Opiri, Secretary of the Kula Community Development Committee (CDC), and two unidentified members of a local security outfit known as Amama Soldiers.
Others are named as David Sukubo, Endwell Ameme, Aboy Umeonu and Nye Oriye.
However, eight persons who were also in the speedboat at the time of the incident were rescued.
They were among protesting members of Kula satellite communities and fishing settlements who were said to have vowed to prevent the oil vessel from sailing out of their coastal waters over unresolved issues with the company.
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They alleged that the Ibeto Group polluted their waterways, fishing ports, and creeks, allegedly refused to pay local vendors and failed to pay royalties due to the host communities in the course of its operations in the area.
The search and rescue team, which included the DPO of Abonnema Police Division, Sokubo Sara-Igbe Sokubo, President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, chiefs and other indigenes of Kula, searched through creeks and water bodies where the incident occurred.
However, they were said to be unable to find the bodies of any of the victims 24 hours after the incident.
One of the survivors, Gibert Pokubo, blamed military personnel attached to the tugboat for the incident.
He alleged that the military acted on the instruction of the Ibeto Group to forcefully pull out the oil vessel from the area and crush any obstacle on their way, but did not give details on how the speedboat crashed during the encounter.
Jonah Joshua, one of the leaders of the search and rescue team, was quoted to have expressed hope of recovering the bodies of all the victims.
He allegedly said the Ibeto Group and personnel of the Sector 3 Command Okrika of the Nigerian Army involved should be held responsible for what he described as avoidable deaths of the ınnocent persons.
Stephen Willbraide, a relative of one of the victims, said the wife, children and other family members of the deceased were deeply saddened and devastated by the incident.
He demanded a thorough investigation and justice in the matter.
The search and rescue operation continued on Thursday, October 22, 2026, to recover the remains of the seven victims.
Reacting through Max Shipping Services Limited, Ibeto group expressed deep concern over media reports concerning the matter involving Anambra Basin FSO.
Ibeto’s concern was on reports containing allegations linking the vessel’s recovery operation to an oil spill, the deployment of armed personnel allegedly authorised by Cletus Ibeto, and the capsized boat where the seven youths allegedly lost their lives.
“In view of the seriousness of these allegations, we consider it necessary to clarify the facts concerning our company’s involvement.
The unsigned statement said Max Shipping Services Limited is the owner of Anambra Basin FSO, not the operator of the oilfield or the underlying petroleum operations at Kula community.
“The vessel was hired to Menal Technical Services Limited under a Marine Equipment Hire Agreement dated 20 September 2024, subsequently amended by an Addendum.”
The statement insisted that Ibeto had no direct hand in the vessel or the contract let alone the community issues.
“Our company’s contractual relationship in respect of the vessel was with Menal Technical Services Limited. We were not a party to the separate operational arrangements that Menal or the end user may have had with the host community.
Following prolonged outstanding hire payments and repeated efforts to obtain settlement, Max Shipping Services Limited exercised its contractual right to retrieve its equipment, they stated.
“Before the demobilisation effort, the crude oil stored in the vessel had been discharged. Tank inspection documents issued by Checkirem and GSV Inspection Services Limited in September 2026 recorded that the inspected tanks were free and clean of crude oil at the time of inspection. These records form part of the documentary evidence being preserved for the relevant authorities.
“We also made repeated efforts to resolve the situation peacefully. Our representatives met with community leaders and representatives on several occasions to explain the nature of our company’s contractual relationship with Menal Technical Services Limited, clarify that we were seeking to retrieve our own equipment, and address any misunderstanding concerning our role at the location. We sought a peaceful resolution rather than confrontation.”
The statement admitted that 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 vessel’s ownership must be distinguished from the separate petroleum operations and community-related arrangements at Kula Community. Under the contractual arrangement, Menal Technical Services Limited, as the Hirer, was responsible for the vessel’s operations at the location, including the relevant operational arrangements and community-related obligations, in conjunction with the end user, as applicable.”
While appealing for calm and respect for the law, the statement asked that serious allegations should be based on verified facts, not assumptions.
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