The Ogun State Government has firmly restated its territorial jurisdiction over Eba Island in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area, dismissing claims from some quarters in Ondo State as misleading and capable of igniting unnecessary communal tension.
The clarification followed public debates and a motion raised by a member of the House of Representatives, Donald Ojogo, representing Ilaje Federal Constituency in Ondo State, after President Bola Tinubu approved the commencement of drilling activities at an abandoned oil well on Eba Island.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, said the oil-bearing Eba Island falls squarely within Ogun Waterside Local Government Area of Ogun State, stressing that its status is clearly established in constitutional and administrative records.
According to Akinmade, state and local government boundaries in Nigeria are defined and documented by the National Boundary Commission, with official maps and records consistently situating Eba Island within Ogun State territory.
He explained that Eba is a long-established community whose status predates Nigeria’s independence and has remained unchanged through successive administrative reforms, including the 1976 state-creation exercise that led to the emergence of Ogun State.
“Since 1976, there has been no constitutional amendment, judicial pronouncement or federal gazette that altered the boundary placing Eba outside Ogun State,” the statement said.
The government clarified that confusion may have arisen from the existence of two locations known as “Eba.” While one lies near a forest reserve in Ondo State, the larger Eba Island—where the oil well approved by the President is located—lies entirely within Ogun State’s coastal corridor.
Akinmade noted that President Tinubu’s approval for drilling followed extensive due diligence by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and other relevant federal agencies, all of which confirmed Ogun State as the host state before clearance was granted.
He added that the deployment of national security assets, including naval formations around the drilling site, further underscores federal recognition of Ogun State’s jurisdiction over the area.
Providing additional context, the statement revealed that in October 2024, the Molokun of Atijere in Ondo State formally sought permission from the Osobia of Makun-Omi in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area to conduct business activities on Eba Island. The request was declined and reported to the Ogun State Government, NNPCL and security agencies—an action the government said amounted to tacit acknowledgement of Ogun’s authority over the island.
On historical arguments being circulated, the Ogun State Government described reliance on colonial documents from 1919 and 1920 as misleading, pointing instead to Colonial Government Gazette No. 660 of April 29, 1950, which it said clearly defined the boundary between the former Ijebu and Ondo Provinces and superseded earlier notices.
The government also cited lease agreements, historical community records, survey documents—including the Olokola Free Trade Zone Survey Plan—and administrative validation by the Independent National Electoral Commission, which registers polling units in Eba under Makun/Irokun Ward of Ogun Waterside Local Government Area.
Akinmade disclosed that following the discovery of hydrocarbon prospects along the coastal corridor, Ogun State conducted independent geospatial verification of the oil well coordinates, confirming their location within the state’s boundaries. He added that the state has worked closely with the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and NNPCL to secure the asset and prepare it for commercial exploration.
While warning against misinformation and inflammatory narratives, the Ogun State Government called for restraint and responsible engagement, reaffirming its commitment to the rule of law, peaceful coexistence and cooperation with the Federal Government in safeguarding national assets.
“The facts are clear, and the law is settled. Eba Island, where the approved oil well is located, is in Ogun State,” the statement concluded.