10 drown as boat capsizes throughout conflict between youths and safety operatives over oil spill in Rivers

About 10 youths misplaced their lives after a ship reportedly capsized following an alleged confrontation between locals and males in army uniform over an oil spill at Oil Mining Lease (OML-55) in Kula, Akuku Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The incident occurred on Tuesday, October 20, 2026.

It was gathered that the confrontation adopted an oil spill allegedly linked to operations involving a businessman who has a contract within the space.

Locals instructed Daily Trust that members of the neighborhood reportedly tried to cease additional operations pending remediation of the affected setting and compensation for the spill, resulting in a heated argument.

The state of affairs reportedly escalated when the lads wearing army uniform arrived on the scene with a number of gunboats and tried to maneuver the vessel belongings to the businessman, prompting the youths from the neighborhood to intervene.

The youths had been mentioned to have queried why the uniform males needed to maneuver the vessel belongings to the businessman when nothing had been mentioned in regards to the polluted setting, together with their demand for compensation.

But the uniformed males compelled their manner by way of throughout which one in every of their gunboats collided with a ship carrying the youths, inflicting it to capsize, ensuing within the youths onboard drowning.

A neighborhood chief and one time spokesman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, confirmed the incident to newsmen.

Sara-Igbe alleged that the arrival of the uniformed personnel worsened the state of affairs and undermined earlier efforts to peacefully resolve the problems.

The elder statesman additionally known as on the police and different related safety authorities to research the incident and set up the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.

“The confrontation occurred amid attempts by residents to resist the alleged forceful re-entry to the site , during which a community boat capsized while trying to resist them. Ten people are feared unalived” he mentioned.

“Now from what I gathered immediately this happened, the military people ran away. I’m told that all the persons feared unalived were male, but for now, all other details surrounding the incident remain unclear.”

It was gathered that efforts are ongoing to retrieve the corpses and the identities of the victims.

The spokesman of the 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Lt. Col. Umar, couldn’t be reached for touch upon the event.