The controversy surrounding the ownership of 76 oil wells has escalated, with the governments of Akwa Ibom State and Cross River State restating opposing positions while the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) clarifies that its review process is still ongoing.
Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River, addressing supporters on Monday, insisted that his state would not continue to accept what he termed unfair treatment in the protracted oil wells dispute.
“People cannot be cheated forever. The ceding of parts of Bakassi was for peace for Nigeria. It was not for Cross River State to lose its oil wells. So, enough of nonsense,” Otu declared in a video that has circulated widely.
He maintained that Cross River was merely demanding what rightfully belongs to it, stressing that the state would no longer tolerate perceived injustice.
However, Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom countered that the matter had already been conclusively resolved by the Supreme Court of Nigeria, which ruled twice in favour of his state.
Speaking to journalists at Victor Attah International Airport, Eno dismissed suggestions that the oil wells could be reallocated, arguing that no sentiment or propaganda could override subsisting court judgments.
“There are two Supreme Court judgments that give Akwa Ibom State the right to those oil wells,” he said, noting that Akwa Ibom shares maritime boundaries with Cameroon, not Cross River.
The dispute has its roots in the 2008 handover of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon, in compliance with a judgment of the International Court of Justice. The ruling altered Cross River’s coastal status and its entitlement to offshore derivation revenues.
Although the apex court in 2012 affirmed that the 76 oil wells fall within Akwa Ibom’s jurisdiction, Cross River has continued to challenge the outcome, citing new mapping and geological evidence which it claims places many of the wells within its territory.
Eno called for calm among Akwa Ibom residents and expressed confidence in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to uphold the rule of law, emphasising that the issue is grounded in legal facts.
Also speaking, Akwa Ibom’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Uko Udom, rejected reports that the oil wells might be “returned” to Cross River following the submission of a report by a federal inter-agency committee.
He clarified that the document submitted to RMAFC on February 13, 2026, was merely a draft and not a final recommendation or binding decision.
RMAFC Chairman Mohammed Shehu similarly described media reports suggesting a reallocation as inaccurate and premature.
According to the commission, the draft report has been forwarded to key technical institutions - including the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the National Boundary Commission, and the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation - for review and input before any conclusive determination is made.
The commission stated that the findings would undergo further scrutiny by its internal committees and, if finalised, would be transmitted to the President and the Attorney-General of the Federation in accordance with constitutional procedures.
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