Ondo State accused the Ogun State government of engaging in “sensational media briefings, misleading public statements, and inaccurate official claims” over what it described as a long-existing oil well located in Atijere, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The Ondo State government has firmly rejected claims by neighbouring Ogun State that an oil well located on Eba Island belongs to its (Ogun) territory, describing the assertions as “misleading”, “inaccurate” and unacceptable.
In a detailed position issued on Friday, Ondo State accused the Ogun State government of engaging in “sensational media briefings, misleading public statements, and inaccurate official claims” over what it described as a long-existing oil well located in Atijere, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The statement was signed by Allen Sowore, Esq., Special Adviser to the Governor on Communication and Strategy.
According to the statement, mineral resources such as oil wells are assets of the Federal Government, even though they are domiciled within states of the federation.
“It must be clearly stated that mineral resources, including oil wells, are assets of the Federal Government, domiciled within different states of the Federation,” the state said, citing Item 39 of the Second Schedule (Part I) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which places oil fields and oil mining on the Exclusive Legislative List.
While acknowledging that states hosting such resources are recognised as oil-producing states and their communities designated as host communities, the Ondo State Government stressed that the location of petroleum assets must be lawfully and empirically established.
“In this case, the oil deposit in question is situated in Atijere, Ondo State,” the statement said.
The government added that it understood Ogun State’s desire to join the league of oil-producing states but warned that ownership of petroleum resources could not be determined through media narratives.
“We empathise with our sister state, Ogun, and understand the desire to join the league of oil-producing states in Nigeria. However, ownership of land or territorial location of petroleum resources is not established by press statements or shifting public narratives,” it said.
Instead, Ondo State noted that such matters are determined by “empirical facts, historical records, documentary evidence, established administrative practice, and, where necessary, judicial or statutory determinations.”
The statement also took issue with comments made by Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, during a media briefing on 22 January 2026.
“Let me share with you that Mr President has approved the commencement of commercial oil drilling operations at Tongeji Island, and going forward, you will begin to see a lot of activities there,” Abiodun was quoted as saying.
Ondo State argued that the claim did not align with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which vests regulatory authority over petroleum exploration, appraisal and drilling in the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
“For the avoidance of doubt, under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), approvals relating to petroleum exploration, appraisal, and drilling are exercised through the statutory regulatory framework administered by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC),” the statement said.
It added that as Minister of Petroleum Resources and a former industry professional, President Bola Tinubu would be “fully cognisant” of this statutory framework, making any suggestion of direct presidential approval for drilling “inconsistent with the legal and regulatory structure governing upstream petroleum operations.”
Within days of the governor’s remarks, the Ondo State Government noted, Ogun State reportedly admitted errors regarding the location of the oil site, a development it said further weakened the credibility of the claim.
Even within Ogun State, objections have reportedly emerged over the precise location of the oil deposit. The statement referenced a petition dated 23 January 2026 by the Concerned Indigenes of Ipokia Local Government Area, signed by the Baamofin of Ipokia Kingdom, Barrister Lawal Orisadare, seeking urgent clarification on the site associated with the oil exploration claims.
“Our position is straightforward: the facts in this matter speak for themselves—res ipsa loquitur,” the statement said.
According to Ondo State, the oil deposit is located within Ilaje Local Government Area, and the landowners are indigenes of Atijere, a settlement that has existed since at least 1937. It added that Eba Island historically fell under the Atijere Native Court Authority.
The state further explained that River Ufara, which runs through Imakun into the Oluwa River, serves as a natural boundary between Ilaje land and Ijebu land.
Tracing the historical status of Eba Island, the government said it formed part of Ilaje/Mahin Country in the defunct Lagos Colony under Governor Sir John Hawley Glover before the 1914 Amalgamation. After amalgamation, it became part of the Ondo Province, specifically the Okitipupa Division, and was designated a Forestry Reserve under the Atijere Native Authority.
The island was later incorporated into the Ilaje District Council around 1950, with Atijere as its headquarters. Following the creation of Ilaje/Ese-Odo Local Government Area in 1975 and Ese-Odo Local Government Area in 1997, Eba Island remained under Ilaje Local Government Area, where it is still designated as an Ondo State Forestry Reserve.
While stressing that Ogun and Ondo States have a history of cordial relations and clearly defined boundaries, the Ondo State Government described recent attempts to misrepresent facts “even to federal authorities” as unacceptable.
The statement added that communities surrounding the oil well, including Ago Alaja, Balogun Bode and Fasuyi, are cluster villages of Atijere. It said successive Baales and village heads, including the current Baale of Fasuyi, Chief Segun Fasuyi, were installed by the Ondo State Government and that all inhabitants are indigenes of Ondo State.
Ondo State also referenced a resolution of the House of Representatives following a Matter of Urgent Public Importance moved by Hon. Donald Kimikanboh Ojogo, directing a committee to engage the National Boundary Commission (NBC).
It said such engagement should be “confirmatory and evidential”, and called on the NBC and relevant federal agencies to release authoritative records to end the dispute.
The state assured residents to remain calm, pledging to “vigorously defend its territorial integrity” within the law, while reaffirming its cooperation with the Nigerian government in protecting the national asset.