The Ogun State government has rejected Ondo State’s claim over Eba Island, where an abandoned oil well is under review.
The disagreement began after Ondo State’s Senior Special Assistant on Strategic Communication, Allen Sowore, issued a statement asserting that Oke-Agor-Isekun, where the oil well is located, belongs to Ondo State.
In response, Ogun State’s Special Adviser on Energy, Jide Onakoya, dismissed the claim, stating that historical and legal records confirm the island is within Ogun’s jurisdiction.
Onakoya stressed that boundary markers recognized by the National Boundary Commission clearly place Eba Island in Ogun Waterside Local Government.
He also condemned Ondo’s claim over Irokun, a community in the same area, calling it an attempt to cause conflict.
He linked the controversy to Oba Samuel Edema of Atijere in Ondo State, who allegedly sought business access to the island but was denied by the Ogun monarch, Oba Kazeem Adesina Salami.
The issue was later reported to Governor Dapo Abiodun, leading to an investigation by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and security agencies.
Ogun State cited a Colonial Government Gazette from 1950 that defined the boundary between the Ijebu and Ondo provinces, confirming its ownership of the area. The government called for respect for legal boundaries to maintain peace.
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