The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) and the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) have called for accountability and justice following a boat mishap in Kula Kingdom, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, which claimed seven lives.
The incident occurred on October 20, 2026, during a protest reportedly linked to the blockade of the Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) vessel, Anambra Basin, over unresolved grievances involving an oil spill and alleged neglect of the host community.
In a statement signed by its Media and Communications representative, Kome Odhomor, HOMEF said the tragedy exposed the dangers of an extractive economic system that prioritises commercial interests over human lives and environmental protection.
The organisation’s Executive Director, Dr Nnimmo Bassey, said decades of petroleum operations had left several Niger Delta communities facing pollution, damaged fishing grounds, declining livelihoods and threats to food security.
He called for environmental justice that goes beyond compensation after damage has occurred, stressing the need for pollution prevention, ecosystem restoration, respect for community rights and meaningful participation in decisions affecting host communities.
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HOMEF expressed solidarity with the bereaved families and survivors, insisting that human lives and ecological wellbeing must take precedence over commercial interests.
Meanwhile, the IYC has demanded the investigation and prosecution of anyone responsible for the incident, including those connected to the vessel’s operations and two tugboats reportedly involved in the mishap.
The council made the demand during a joint solidarity visit by its Eastern and Western Zone delegations to the affected communities and the scene of the incident.
IYC Eastern Zone Chairman, Prince Datolu Sukubo, urged security agencies and the Rivers State Government to expedite investigations. He also called on the Chief of Army Staff and the General Officer Commanding, 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, to investigate allegations of military personnel’s involvement.
Sukubo, who disclosed that his younger brother was among those killed, said the council supported the seizure of the vessel and tugboats involved in the incident.
His Western Zone counterpart, Nicholas Igarama, pledged the council’s commitment to pursuing justice for the victims and their families.
An IYC elder, Chief Lolo Braide, called for adequate compensation for the bereaved families and urged the Rivers State Government, NNPC Limited and relevant regulatory agencies to establish effective mechanisms for resolving disputes between oil companies and host communities.
Both organisations stressed that those responsible must be held accountable and that stronger measures must be introduced to prevent similar tragedies.
