By Our Correspondent
The bodies of the two remaining victims of Tuesday’s deadly boat accident at Robertkiri, along the Kula waterways in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, have been recovered, bringing the total number of bodies retrieved from the incident to seven.
The bodies were reportedly recovered on Saturday evening, three days after five other victims were found during search and rescue operations in the area.
The latest recovery was announced in a statement issued on Sunday by the media team of the Office of Kula Kingdom, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area, and circulated to journalists.
The development brings an end to the search for the seven victims who died after a speedboat capsized along the waterways on Tuesday, October 20, 2026.
According to reports, the two remaining victims were identified as Davies Opiri, Secretary of the Kula Community Development Committee, and David Sukubo, younger brother of the President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo.
Their deaths have deepened the grief in Kula Kingdom, where residents and community leaders have continued to demand a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
The incident reportedly occurred when a speedboat carrying about 15 people capsized during an operation involving a tugboat towing an oil vessel out of the coastal waters of Kula.
According to earlier reports by Punch, the accident happened amid tensions surrounding the movement of an oil vessel operated by interests linked to the Ibeto Group.
The victims were reportedly among residents of Kula’s satellite communities and fishing settlements who had gathered to protest against the departure of the vessel over unresolved grievances concerning the company’s operations in the area.
Eight occupants of the speedboat were reportedly rescued alive, while seven others were initially declared missing.
Search and rescue operations subsequently led to the recovery of five bodies on Thursday before the remaining two victims were found on Saturday.
The tragedy has sparked outrage among indigenes of Kula Kingdom, with community leaders calling on the Rivers State Government and security agencies to investigate the incident and ensure that anyone found culpable is brought to justice.
The community had raised concerns over alleged pollution of waterways, fishing ports and creeks, as well as outstanding payments to local vendors and obligations to host communities.
Some community representatives also alleged that the circumstances surrounding the movement of the oil vessel contributed to the accident. However, the allegations require independent investigation, and responsibility for the incident has not been conclusively established.
Following the recovery of the first five bodies, community leaders and relatives of the deceased took the remains to the Rivers State Government House in Port Harcourt and the headquarters of the Rivers State Police Command to register their grievances and seek government intervention.
At the Government House, the Chief of Staff to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Sonny Ewule, reportedly expressed sympathy with the bereaved families and assured the community that the state government would intervene.
He also appealed to the people to remain calm, assuring them that anyone found responsible for the tragedy would be held accountable under the law.
At the police command headquarters, Assistant Commissioner of Police Iyke Okoro also commiserated with the families and advised the community to submit a formal petition to facilitate an investigation.
The recovery of all seven bodies has heightened calls for accountability, with residents insisting that the deaths should not be treated as an ordinary marine accident without a proper investigation.
The incident has also renewed concerns about the safety of waterways in coastal communities, particularly where commercial marine operations take place alongside the fishing and transportation activities of local residents.
For the families of the deceased, the recovery of the final two bodies brings an end to the uncertainty surrounding the search, but the pain of losing their loved ones remains.
Community leaders are expected to continue pressing for answers regarding the circumstances that led to the capsizing, including the roles of the vessels involved and the activities taking place on the waterways at the time of the incident.
As the community mourns the seven victims, attention is now focused on the outcome of investigations by the relevant authorities and the steps that will be taken to establish responsibility and prevent a recurrence.