The Ondo State government has refuted claims by the Nigerian Navy that the abandoned oil well at Oke Agbor-Isekun is located in Ogun State. This response follows a report from the Navy indicating that it had foiled an attempt by oil thieves to exploit the abandoned oil well, situated on an island near the boundary between Ogun and Ondo States.
According to the Navy, the abandoned oil well is uncovered within Ogun territory, despite mentioning surrounding communities that belong to Ondo State. The Navy also noted that the island is located approximately five kilometers from the Ondo State boundary and has been identified as a hotspot for criminal activities.
In a swift rebuttal, Mr. Allen Sowore, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa on Strategic Communication, emphasized that while Ondo shares a boundary with Ogun State, the land in question has belonged to Ondo State since time immemorial.
Sowore asserted that Ogun and Ondo are two distinct states in the Southwest, with well-defined boundaries. He noted that these states have enjoyed a long-standing, cordial relationship based on shared values and mutual understanding.
He accused the Navy’s report of being deliberately skewed to misrepresent the location of the oil well, which is situated within Ondo State, as belonging to Ogun State for undisclosed reasons.
“For the record, the oil well in question is located on Eba Island, which has historically been part of Ilaje/Mahin Country in the defunct Lagos Colony under Governor John Hawley Glover before the 1914 Amalgamation,” Sowore explained.
“Following the amalgamation, it became part of the old Ondo Province, specifically the Okitipupa Division, and was designated as a Forestry Reserve of Ondo Province under the Atijere Native Authority.
“Subsequently, Eba Island was incorporated into the Ilaje District Council, with Atijere as its headquarters around 1950. When the Ilaje/Ese-Odo Local Government Area was created in 1975, the island remained under its jurisdiction.
“In 1997, when Ese-Odo was separated into a distinct local government, Eba Island continued to be an integral part of Ilaje Local Government, where it remains today—still designated as an Ondo State Forestry Reserve.
“The communities surrounding the oil well—Ago Alaja, Balogun Bode, and Fasuyi—have always been cluster villages of the Atijere community. In fact, successive village heads of Balogun Bode and Fasuyi, including the current Baale, Chief Segun Fasuyi, have been installed by the Ondo State Government. Moreover, all inhabitants of these villages are indigenes of Ondo State.
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“Under item 39 of the Second Schedule (Part 1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and other relevant governing laws, oil fields and oil mining fall under the Exclusive Legislative List of the Federation.
“As such, oil wells are assets of the Federation. However, their locations, including the host communities and states, must be clearly defined. In this case, the well is situated in the Atijere community, Ondo State.
“In light of this, the Ondo State Government has encouraged officers and men of the Nigerian Navy Forward Base in Igbokoda, along with the State’s local security and surveillance body, to collaborate with other security agencies in Ogun State for joint patrols to prevent criminal elements from accessing the facility.
“Going forward, we call on the National Boundary Commission (NBC) and relevant Federal Government agencies to provide the necessary information and documentary evidence to dispel the unnecessary controversy that the earlier misleading report seeks to create.
The statement concluded with the assurance that the Ondo State Government is committed to the maximum protection of the asset and full cooperation in establishing the true location and host community of the facility credit – Vanguard
