As tears and anguish continue to trail the recovery of five of the seven missing victims of Tuesday’s boat mishap at an oil facility in an island community in Rivers State, the deceased families have called for justice against the Ibeto Group.

The bodies were recovered on Thursday by the Search and Rescue Team, which had been searching for the victims since the incident.

Those recovered were the Secretary of the Kula Community Development Committee (CDC), Davies Opiri; Endwell Ameme; Aboy Umeonu; Nye Oriye; and a personnel of Alhaji Asari Dokubo’s private security outfit, also known as Amama Soldiers.

The bodies were later conveyed to the State Police Headquarters and the State Government House to register their grievances against the Ibeto Group, which they accused of complicity in the deaths.

The victims died when a speedboat carrying them hit a tugboat on Robertkiri River and sank with the 15 persons it was carrying.

They were protesting against what they described as the “forceful” retrieval of a crude oil storage vessel, ANAMBRA BASIN FSO, by Max Shipping Services, a subsidiary of the Ibeto Group, from OML-55, a Belemaoil/NNPC joint venture facility in Robertkiri community.

The host community and the chiefs have accused the Chairman of the Ibeto Group, Chief Clement Ibeto, and his oil vessel, ANAMBRA BASIN FSO, of being responsible for the tragic death of the people.

They said the incident occurred because of the company’s failure to compensate the community for spilling crude oil into its environment, particularly its rivers, during the two years it operated in the area, as well as its refusal to employ members of the community.

The alleged failure to address the issues led to the protest by the community at the scene, where the protesters attempted to stop the removal of the vessel pending the payment of the said compensation.

Meanwhile, Ibeto has expressed sadness over the incident and loss of lives, describing it as unfortunate.

Ibeto Group, in a statement by its Legal Adviser, Chidinma Ikenna, on Thursday, absolved the chairman and his company of any complicity in the drowning and death of the victims, while also denying spilling oil in the community.

The firm said the vessel was duly inspected and declared free and clean of crude oil before efforts to retrieve it from the site.

It said the decision to retrieve the equipment from the site was prompted by its inability to recover the debt owed to it by the Belemaoil and NNPC joint venture that hired it.

“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.

“The reports contain allegations linking the vessel’s recovery operation to an oil spill, the deployment of armed personnel allegedly authorised by Chief Dr. Cletus Ibeto, and a boat capsizing in which several persons are feared to have lost their lives,” the statement said.

Earlier, Ikenna had expressed sadness over the incident but said there was a need to state the facts.

She said: “Max Shipping Services Limited has noted with deep concern recent media reports concerning an incident at Kula community, Rivers State, involving its vessel, ANAMBRA BASIN FSO.

“In view of the seriousness of these allegations, we consider it necessary to clarify the facts concerning our company’s involvement.”

The firm also frowned at the attempt by the community to link the Chairman of Ibeto Group, Chief Clement Ibeto, to the disagreement at the operation site and the tragic outcome, insisting that its principal had nothing to do with it.

First, 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. 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.

“Under the Hire Agreement, Menal Technical Services Limited assumed specified responsibilities relating to operational exigencies, community settlements, security of the vessel and personnel, and demobilisation,” they insisted.

Fifteen persons reportedly went down the river with the boat. Eight were rescued alive about 24 hours after the incident, while five were recovered dead. Two are still missing, as the search for the remaining victims continues.

Relatives and friends of the deceased, as well as numerous sympathisers, could not hold back their tears as they wept uncontrollably in deep pain and trauma when the bodies arrived at the Abonnema Police Divisional Headquarters.

The bodies were later moved to the Degema Jetty for formal identification by their relatives before being conveyed in a motorcade of ambulances to the Government House, Port Harcourt, and the Rivers State Police Command Headquarters, Moscow Road, to register their grievances.

Prominent Kula indigenes, including Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe and the President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Amb. Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo, led the protest with the bodies of the victims, accompanied by relatives of the deceased.

Addressing officials of the Rivers State Government at Government House, Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe said the Ibeto Group must be held responsible for murder and environmental pollution in Kula Kingdom.

Responding to the protesters, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Dr Sonny Ekwule, commiserated with the families of the victims and the entire people of Kula Kingdom over the tragic loss.

He assured them of government intervention, stating that whoever was found culpable would be brought to book to ensure that justice was done.

He urged the people to remain calm and maintain peace.

Also speaking at the Rivers State Police Command Headquarters, Moscow Road, the President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Amb. Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo, alleged that the incident was a deliberate act of murder of innocent and peaceful persons by the Ibeto Group, operator of the oil vessel.

He insisted that the police must bring the culprit to book and ensure justice was served to prevent resort to self-help.

An Assistant Commissioner of Police, Iyke Okoro, who responded on behalf of the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, commiserated with the families and people of Kula, while calling for calm and a lawful approach in seeking justice in the matter.

The ACP advised the bereaved people of Kula Kingdom to forward a petition addressed to the Police Commissioner to aid police investigation into the matter.

In the meantime, the five recovered bodies have been deposited in a Port Harcourt mortuary, while search and rescue efforts continue for the two remaining victims, The Nation learnt. (The Nation)