THE Ondo State government has clarified that an abandoned oil well reported to have been uncovered by the Nigerian Navy in Ogun State is actually situated in Atijere community in Ondo State.
In a statement on Friday by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa on Strategic Communication, Allen Sowore, Esq., the government said that the report “appears to have been deliberately skewed to misrepresent the location of the oil well — situated within Ondo State — as belonging to Ogun State, for undisclosed reasons.”
The statement read: “The attention of the Ondo State government has been drawn to a misleading news report published in major national tabloids and online platforms with the sensational headline: “Navy Uncovers Abandoned Ogun Oil Well.”
“The first paragraph of the report states: “The Nigerian Navy has foiled an attempt by oil thieves to exploit an abandoned well at Oke-Agor-Isekun, an island near the Ogun and Ondo states boundary.”
“However, in a contradictory manner, a subsequent paragraph wrongly asserts: “Oke-Agor-Isekun, the site of the abandoned oil well, is an island situated approximately five kilometers from the Ondo State boundary and has been identified as a hotspot for criminal activities.”
“It is important to clarify that Ogun and Ondo are two distinct states in the South West, with well-defined boundaries. These states have enjoyed a long-standing, cordial relationship based on shared values and mutual understanding. However, the referenced news report appears to have been deliberately skewed to misrepresent the location of the oil well — 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. 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 Atijere Native Authority.
“Subsequently, Eba Island was incorporated into the Ilaje District Council, with Atijere as its headquarters around 1950. When 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 to this day—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.
“In accordance with 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 Atijere community, Ondo State.
“In light of this, the Ondo State government has encouraged officers and men of the Nigerian Navy Forward Base, Igbokoda and the State local security/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.
“Ondo State Government assures the Federal Government of maximum protection of the asset and full cooperation in establishing the true location/host community of the facility.”