The Ondo State Government has firmly rejected claims by the Ogun State Government suggesting ownership of an oil deposit located on Eba Island, describing the assertions as misleading, inconsistent, and unacceptable.
In a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Communication and Strategy, Allen Sowore, Ondo State accused Ogun State of engaging in “sensational media briefings and inaccurate public statements” over the location of a long-existing oil well, which it insists is situated in Atijere, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The state government stressed that while mineral resources, including oil wells, are constitutionally vested in the Federal Government, the territorial location of such resources must be clearly and lawfully established.
Citing Item 39 of the Exclusive Legislative List in the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Ondo State noted that hosting rights are determined by empirical facts, historical records, administrative practice, and, where necessary, judicial or statutory decisions—not by press statements.
Ondo State’s reaction followed comments credited to Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, who on January 22, 2026, reportedly told journalists that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had approved the commencement of commercial oil drilling at Tongeji Island.
According to Ondo State, such a claim does not align with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which vests approvals for exploration and drilling in the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC). The statement added that any suggestion of direct presidential approval contradicts the established legal and regulatory framework governing upstream petroleum operations.
The Government further noted that the Ogun State Government later admitted errors regarding the location of the oil site, a development it said further weakened the credibility of the claims. It also referenced growing opposition within Ogun State, including a January 23, 2026 petition by Concerned Indigenes of Ipokia Local Government Area, signed by the Baamofin of Ipokia Kingdom, Barrister Lawal Orisadare, seeking clarification on the actual location of the oil deposit.
Reaffirming its position, Ondo State maintained that the oil deposit is located within Ilaje Local Government Area and that the host communities—Ago Alaja, Balogun Bode, and Fasuyi—are cluster villages of Atijere community. It stated that the inhabitants are indigenes of Ondo State and that successive Baales of the communities were installed by the Ondo State Government.
The statement traced the historical status of Eba Island, noting that it formed part of Ilaje/Mahin Country in the defunct Lagos Colony before the 1914 amalgamation and later became part of Ondo Province. It added that the island has consistently remained under Ondo State administration through successive local government reorganisations and is still designated as an Ondo State forestry reserve.
Ondo State also highlighted River Ufara, flowing into the Oluwa River, as the natural boundary between Ilaje land in Ondo State and Ijebu land in Ogun State.
Welcoming the intervention of the House of Representatives, Ondo State referenced the adoption of a Matter of Urgent Public Importance sponsored by Hon. Donald Kimikanboh Ojogo (Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency), directing the relevant committee to engage the National Boundary Commission (NBC). The state said the engagement should serve to confirm existing records and put the matter beyond dispute.
The government called on the National Boundary Commission and other relevant federal agencies to release authoritative documents to end what it described as misleading claims and rising public tension.
Ondo State assured residents of the affected communities to remain calm, pledging to lawfully defend its territorial integrity and administrative authority over Eba Island.
