The Ondo State Government has officially disputed Ogun State’s claim over the oil-rich Eba Island, asserting that the territory and its oil deposit lie within Atijere, Ondo State.
In a statement on Friday, Allen Sowore, Special Adviser to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa on Communication and Strategy, traced the island’s historical and political alignment.
He explained that Eba Island has been part of Ilaje Local Government Area since at least 1937, falling under the Atijere Native Court Authority. Sowore noted that natural boundaries, including the Ufara River, clearly separate Ilaje land from Ijebu land in Ogun.
The adviser also highlighted the political administration of the island: incorporation into Ilaje District Council in 1950, continued inclusion in Ilaje/Ese-Odo Local Government Area in 1975, and recognition under Ese-Odo LGA in 1997, remaining an Ondo State Forestry Reserve today.
Sowore called on the National Boundary Commission and federal agencies to provide authoritative records to resolve the dispute and prevent public tension.
He also urged local residents to stay calm while affirming that the Ondo government would take lawful steps to protect Eba Island.
The statement emphasised that Ondo State remains committed to cooperating with the federal government to safeguard the national asset and clarify the oil deposit’s jurisdiction beyond doubt.
Meanwhile, Governor Dapo Abiodun had addressed rising concerns over oil exploration in Ogun Waterside Local Government, stressing that the exercise is led by the Federal Government through NNPCL, not the state government.
While hydrocarbon deposits have been identified in areas including Tongegi Island, the governor explained their commercial viability remains unconfirmed.
He dismissed claims of fund diversion and political manipulation, describing such reports as misleading.
Abiodun said preliminary investigations followed reports of crude-like seepages.
“Drilling is needed to confirm commercial quantities, and this process was approved by the President,” he noted.
He also emphasised that security around the site has been strengthened, including the establishment of a Naval Forward Operating Base on Tongegi Island to protect national assets.
Abiodun criticised misrepresentation of his statements in the media, clarifying that commercial drilling has not commenced.
He further praised President Bola Tinubu for reviving the Olokola Deep Sea Port project, which he said will boost Ogun State’s economic prospects.
On governance, the governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to road infrastructure development, underscoring performance over rhetoric as the true measure of progress.
