Ogun State Draws the Line on Eba Island, Dismisses Ondo’s Ownership Claim

The Ogun State Government has restated its authority over Eba Island, firmly rejecting claims by the Ondo State Government that the territory falls outside Ogun’s jurisdiction.

The state cautioned that attempts to lay claim to the island—where an oil well is currently under investigation—risk disrupting the long-standing peaceful coexistence between the Ijebu and Ilaje communities in the coastal area.

The disagreement followed a public statement by Allen Sowore, Senior Special Assistant on Strategic Communication to Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, which asserted that Oke-Agor-Isekun, the location of the abandoned oil well, belongs to Ondo State.

Responding, the Special Adviser to the Ogun State Governor on Energy, Mr. Jide Onakoya, described the claim as inaccurate and unsupported by historical, traditional, and legal facts. He said existing records clearly place Eba Island within Ogun Waterside Local Government Area of Ogun State and described the assertion as a slight on the authority of the Awujale of Ijebu Land and the Ijebu Traditional Council.

Onakoya explained that official state and local government boundaries are defined by markers recognized by the National Boundary Commission, adding that a review of approved maps confirms Eba Island’s location within Ogun State.
Quoting a document from the Palace of Makun-Omi, he maintained that it is beyond dispute that the oil well under investigation is situated on Eba Island in Ogun Waterside.

The Ogun State Government also faulted claims over Irokun, another community in Ogun Waterside, warning that such assertions could provoke unnecessary conflict. It emphasized that Irokun has remained an Ijebu settlement since the colonial era and, alongside Araromi Seaside, is firmly within Ogun State, as affirmed by boundary declarations along the Bight of Benin. The Onirokun of Irokun, it added, is a recognized member of the Ijebu Traditional Council.

Providing background to the dispute, the government alleged that the controversy was triggered by Oba Samuel Edema, the Molokun of Atijere in Ondo State, who reportedly sought approval in October 2024 to embark on a business venture on Eba Island. The request was declined by the Osobia of Makun-Omi, Oba Kazeem Adesina Salami, and subsequently reported to the Ogun State Government, which escalated the matter to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and security agencies.

According to the state, follow-up visits by NNPC officials and security agencies were followed by what it described as a misleading communiqué from the Ilaje Traditional Council, further heightening tensions.

Ogun State condemned what it called attempts at territorial expansion and the selective use of outdated colonial documents to justify claims that contradict Nigeria’s constitutional framework. It cited Colonial Government Gazette No. 660 of April 29, 1950, which clearly defined the boundary between the former Ijebu and Ondo provinces, overriding earlier notices from 1919 and 1920.

The state government reaffirmed its commitment to peace and urged all parties to respect established legal and historical boundaries in the interest of harmony and stability.