The Ogun State Government has rejected assertions that the oil well situated on Eba Island belongs to Ondo State, warning that such claims are inaccurate and capable of fueling unnecessary communal unrest.
This follows a statement issued on Friday, the 30th of January, 2026, by the Special Adviser to the Ondo State Governor on Communication and Strategy, Allen Sowore, who maintained that the oil well is located within Ondo State and not Ogun.
Sowore urged the National Boundary Commission and other relevant federal authorities to release official records and documents to resolve what he described as misleading narratives and rising public tension.
He stated, “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. Subsequently, Eba Island was incorporated into the Ilaje District Council around 1950, with Atijere as its headquarters” he explained.
In response, the Special Adviser to the Ogun State Governor on Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, countered the claim, insisting that the Eba Island hosting the approved oil well is firmly within Ogun Waterside Local Government Area of Ogun State.
In a statement released on Sunday, the 1st of February, 2026, Akinmade explained that there are two separate locations bearing the name “Eba,” noting that while one lies close to the Ondo State forest reserve, the larger Eba Island where the oil well approved by the President is located is entirely within Ogun State’s coastal belt.
He emphasised that state and local government boundaries in Nigeria are constitutionally established and clearly documented by the National Boundary Commission (NBC), adding that official maps and records unequivocally place Eba Island within Ogun State.
According to Akinmade, “The clarification follows public debates and a motion sponsored by Hon. Donald Kimikanboh Ojogo, representing Ilaje Federal Constituency in Ondo State, after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the commencement of drilling activities at an abandoned oil well located on Eba Island.
“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.
He further noted that the presidential approval for drilling came after thorough verification by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and other relevant federal agencies, all of which confirmed that the oil well lies within Ogun State before granting clearance.
Akinmade also pointed to the presence of national security assets, including naval formations around the drilling area, as further indication of federal recognition of Ogun State as the host state.
He dismissed the historical arguments being circulated as misleading, describing them as colonial-era documents from 1919 and 1920, and stressed that the Colonial Government Gazette No. 660 of April 29, 1950, which clearly outlined the boundary between the former Ijebu and Ondo Provinces, should be referenced instead.
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The Ogun State Government also cited lease agreements, long-standing community records and survey documents including the Olokola Free Trade Zone Survey Plan as additional proof that Eba Island is part of Ogun State.
Electoral records from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were also mentioned, with the polling unit at LA Primary School, Eba, officially registered under Makun/Irokun Ward in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Akinmade added that following the discovery of hydrocarbon potential along the coastal corridor, the state government conducted its own independent verification of the well’s coordinates using geospatial and cartographic technology, which confirmed that the oil wells fall within Ogun State boundaries.
He cautioned against the spread of misinformation and inflammatory rhetoric, urging all stakeholders to exercise restraint and engage responsibly.
The Ogun State Government reaffirmed its commitment to the rule of law, peaceful coexistence and collaboration with the Federal Government in protecting national assets, adding that the people of Makun-Omi Kingdom have pledged to maintain peace and safeguard lives and property.