Ogun State’s Claim of Ownership of Eba Island Is Totally Unacceptable
In recent times, the Ogun State Government has engaged in a series of sensational media briefings, misleading public statements, and inaccurate official claims regarding a long-existing oil well located on Eba Island in Ondo State.
It must be clearly stated that mineral resources, including oil wells, are assets of the Federal Government, domiciled within different states of the Federation. This position is firmly grounded in Item 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 on the Exclusive Legislative List.
While states hosting such resources are recognised as oil-producing states and their communities designated as host communities, the location of such assets must be clearly and lawfully established. In this case, the oil deposit in question is situated in Atijere, Ondo State.
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. Rather, such matters are determined by empirical facts, historical records, documentary evidence, established administrative practice, and, where necessary, judicial or statutory determinations.
On 22 January 2026, the Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, while addressing the press, stated—and we quote:
“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.”
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). As a seasoned industry professional with prior experience in the petroleum sector, and the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mr President would be fully cognisant of this statutory arrangement. Accordingly, any suggestion of a direct presidential approval to commence drilling does not accord with the legal and regulatory structure governing upstream petroleum operations.
Within days of the statement, the Ogun State Government itself admitted errors regarding the location of the oil site allegedly referenced, thereby further underscoring the inconsistency and unreliability of the claims being advanced.
Even within Ogun State, serious objections have arisen concerning the precise location of the purported oil deposit. Notable among these is 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 exact site purportedly associated with oil exploration activities.
Our position is straightforward: the facts in this matter speak for themselves—res ipsa loquitur.
The oil deposit is located within Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State. The landowners are indigenes of Atijere, where they reside. The village has existed since at least 1937, and Eba Island has historically fallen under the Atijere Native Court Authority.
River Ufara which runs through Imakun into Oluwa River serves as natural demarcating feature/ boundary between Ilaje land and Ijebu land.
Historically, Eba Island formed part of Ilaje/Mahin Country in the defunct Lagos Colony under Governor Sir John Hawley Glover, prior to the 1914 Amalgamation. Following amalgamation, it became part of the Ondo Province, specifically the Okitipupa Division, and was designated a Forestry Reserve under the Atijere Native Authority.
Subsequently, Eba Island was incorporated into the Ilaje District Council around 1950, with Atijere as its headquarters. When Ilaje/Ese-Odo Local Government Area was created in 1975, the island remained under its jurisdiction. Following the creation of Ese-Odo Local Government Area in 1997, Eba Island continued as an integral part of Ilaje Local Government Area, where it remains to this day—still designated as an Ondo State Forestry Reserve.
Ogun and Ondo States are distinct entities in the South-West with clearly defined administrative and historical boundaries and a long record of cordial relations. However, recent attempts to misrepresent facts and convey inaccurate information regarding the location of an oil deposit situated within Ondo State—even to federal authorities—are unacceptable.
The communities surrounding the oil well—Ago Alaja, Balogun Bode, and Fasuyi—are cluster villages of the Atijere community. Successive Baales and village heads of Balogun Bode and Fasuyi, including the current Baale, Chief Segun Fasuyi, were installed by the Ondo State Government. All inhabitants of these communities are indigenes of Ondo State.
At this juncture, we note the decision of the House of Representatives, following the adoption of a Matter of Urgent Public Importance moved by Hon. Donald Kimikanboh Ojogo (Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency), directing the relevant House Committee to engage the National Boundary Commission (NBC). Any such engagement should be understood as confirmatory and evidential, aimed at placing official records beyond dispute.
In the same vein, we call upon the National Boundary Commission and relevant federal agencies to make available authoritative records and documentary evidence capable of putting an end to these misleading claims and unnecessary public tension.
The Ondo State Government assures all indigenous people and residents of the area to remain calm, as the State will, within the ambit of the law, vigorously defend its territorial integrity, lawful occupation, and administrative authority over Eba Island and its adjoining communities.
Finally, Ondo State reaffirms its full cooperation with the Federal Government in the protection of this national asset and in establishing, beyond doubt, the true location of the oil deposit and the territory in which it lies.
Allen Sowore, Esq.
Special Adviser to the Governor
(Communication & Strategy)
30th January, 2026