Paul Joseph
The Ondo State government has issued a strong warning to neighboring Ogun State regarding its claims of ownership over Eba Island.
According to the Ondo state government, Ogun has been involved in a series of sensational media briefings, misleading public statements, and inaccurate official claims about an oil well that has long existed on Eba Island in Ondo State.
In a statement released by Allen Sowore, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Communication & Strategy, mineral resources, including oil wells, are assets of the Federal Government, located within various states of the Federation.
The statement asserted 39 of the Second Schedule (Part I) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which places oil fields and oil mining under the Exclusive Legislative List.
The statement further clarified that while states that host such resources are recognized as oil-producing states and their communities are designated as host communities, the actual location of these resources must be clearly and legally established.
In this instance, the oil deposit in question is located in Atijere, Ondo State.
“We sympathize with our neighboring state, Ogun, and understand its desire to be recognized as an oil-producing state in Nigeria,” the statement continued.
It further stressed that ownership of land or the territorial location of petroleum resources cannot be determined by press releases or changing public narratives; instead, such matters are established through empirical facts, historical records, documentary evidence, established administrative practices, and, when necessary, judicial or statutory determinations.
The statement recalled that on January 22, 2026, Ogun State Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun stated in a press conference that President Tinubu has approved the commencement of commercial oil drilling operations at Tongeji Island, and increased activities will soon be seen there.
The statement also said” To clarify, under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), approvals for petroleum exploration, appraisal, and drilling are governed by the statutory framework administered by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
“As an experienced industry professional with a background in the petroleum sector, the President would be well aware of this regulatory framework”.
“Therefore, any suggestion of direct presidential approval for drilling does not align with the legal and regulatory structure governing upstream petroleum operations.
Shortly after this statement, the Ogun State Government itself acknowledged mistakes regarding the location of the oil site in question, further highlighting the inconsistencies and unreliability of the claims being made.
In Ogun State, there have been significant objections regarding the exact location of the alleged oil deposit.
A notable petition, dated January 23, 2026, from the Concerned Indigenous of Ipokia Local Government Area, was signed by Barrister Lawal Orisadare, the Baamofin of Ipokia Kingdom.
This petition requests urgent clarification about the specific site linked to oil exploration activities.
Our stance is clear: the facts in this case are self-evident—res ipsa loquitur. The oil deposit is situated in the Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, where the landowners are residents of Atijere”.
This village has been established since at least 1937, and historically, Eba Island has been under the jurisdiction of the Atijere Native Court Authority.
The Ufara River, which flows through Imakun into the Oluwa River, serves as a natural boundary between Ilaje and Ijebu lands.
According to historical accounts, Eba Island was part of Ilaje/Mahin Country in the former Lagos Colony under Governor Sir John Hawley Glover, prior to the 1914 Amalgamation.
After the amalgamation, it became part of the Ondo Province, specifically the Okitipupa Division, and was designated as a Forestry Reserve under the Atijere Native Authority.
The statement further noted that around 1950, Eba Island was incorporated into the Ilaje District Council, with Atijere as its headquarters. When the Ilaje/Ese-Odo Local Government Area was established in 1975, the island remained under its jurisdiction.
“After the formation of the Ese-Odo Local Government Area in 1997, Eba Island continued to be an integral part of the Ilaje Local Government Area, which it remains today, still recognized as an Ondo State Forestry Reserve”.
“Ogun and Ondo States are separate entities in the South-West, with well-defined administrative and historical boundaries and a long history of amicable relations.
However, recent efforts to misrepresent facts and provide incorrect information about the location of the oil deposit in Ondo State—even to federal authorities—are unacceptable.
The communities surrounding the oil well—Ago Alaja, Balogun Bode, and Fasuyi—are part of the Atijere community. Successive Baales and village heads of Balogun Bode and Fasuyi, including the current Baale, Chief Segun Fasuyi, have been appointed by the Ondo State Government. All residents of these communities are indigenes of Ondo State”.
“At this point, we acknowledge the decision made by the House of Representatives, following the adoption of a Matter of Urgent Public Importance raised by Hon. Donald Kimikanboh Ojogo (Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency), which directs the relevant House Committee to engage with the National Boundary Commission (NBC).
Any such engagement should be seen as confirmatory and evidential, aimed at establishing official records beyond dispute”.
He urged the National Boundary Commission and relevant federal agencies to provide authoritative records and documentary evidence”. The statement said
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