The Akwa Ibom State Government has firmly dismissed widespread reports suggesting that oil wells currently attributed to the state may be returned to Cross River State, describing the claims as speculative, misleading, and legally unfounded.
Speaking during a press conference in Uyo, the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Uko Udom, SAN, said the reports were a distortion of constitutional realities and a misrepresentation of ongoing administrative processes.
He clarified that the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) only received a draft report from a Federal Government Inter-Agency Committee on February 13, 2026, stressing that the document does not amount to a final decision, approved recommendation, or reallocation of oil wells. According to him, the Commission itself has publicly stated that the circulating claims are speculative and do not reflect any final position.
Hon. Udom emphasized that beyond procedural clarification lies the binding authority of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
He traced the dispute to Suit No. 124/1999, when Cross River State challenged Akwa Ibom State over boundary delineations, including the estuarine southern territory where the oil wells are located.
He recalled that on June 24, 2005, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Cross River State only with respect to portions of the northern boundary, while dismissing its claims over the southern estuarine territory.
The apex court, he noted, relied on the October 10, 2002 judgment of the International Court of Justice on the Nigeria-Cameroon boundary, which fundamentally altered Cross River State’s coastal status following the cession of the Bakassi Peninsula.
The Attorney General further referenced the July 10, 2012 judgment of the Supreme Court, which reaffirmed that Cross River State was no longer a littoral state entitled to offshore derivation and described its claims as legally unsustainable.
The ruling, he said, firmly upheld Akwa Ibom State’s entitlement to the oil wells within its maritime boundaries.
Citing Section 235 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Hon. Udom stressed that decisions of the Supreme Court are final and binding on all authorities and persons throughout the federation.
He maintained that no inter-agency committee, technical panel, or administrative body can override, amend, or sit in appeal over a subsisting judgment of the apex court.
Hon. Udom assured citizens that no oil well has been ceded, no Supreme Court judgment has been overturned, and no constitutional provision has been amended.
He reiterated that all oil wells in question lie within Akwa Ibom State’s recognized maritime and littoral boundaries based on established hydrographic coordinates and legally enforceable adjudications.
The state government urged residents to remain calm and united, reaffirming its commitment to protecting the economic interests of Akwa Ibom State through lawful and constitutional means.
Also present at the briefing were the Honourable Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah; the Commissioner for Finance and Special Duties, Emem Bob; the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ekerete Udoh; as well as other top government officials.
© Victor Oton
0 Comments