KEY POINTS

• Akwa Ibom oil wells dispute anchored on Supreme Court rulings.
• The oil wells dispute revived by Cross River claims.
• Akwa Ibom oil wells dispute tied to revenue allocation.

Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno insisted that the state owns the disputed oil wells under settled law, citing two Supreme Court judgments that he said affirm its rights.

The Akwa Ibom oil wells dispute resurfaced amid renewed claims by Cross River State, which argues that fresh mapping and geological data place a significant number of the wells within its territory. While the disagreement traces back to the 2008 cession of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon, which altered Cross River’s littoral status and affected revenue allocations.

Akwa Ibom oil wells dispute revisited

Speaking to Government House correspondents on Sunday at Victor Attah International Airport, Eno said no amount of advocacy or public pressure could override binding judicial decisions. “There are two Supreme Court judgments that give Akwa Ibom State the right to those oil wells,” he said. “We are not sharing maritime boundaries with Cross River State but with the Republic of Cameroun.”

A 2012 Supreme Court ruling awarded 76 oil wells to Akwa Ibom, a decision Cross River maintains was unjust. The state now contends that 67 of those wells fall within its maritime territory based on updated data.

Furthermore, Eno dismissed the renewed challenge as misplaced, describing the matter as one already determined by the apex court. “This is not about sentiments,” he said, urging residents to stay calm and disregard what he described as propaganda. The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission also rejected reports suggesting that authorities ceded the oil wells to Cross River and described the claims as inaccurate.

The rule of law in connection with the dispute

Eno expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu’s administration would uphold existing court decisions. “I believe authorities will respect the rule of law,” he said, adding that no one can set aside Supreme Court judgments through public argument.

He argued that if leaders revisit territorial claims on sentimental grounds, they could also reopen other historical boundary disputes, a move he warned would create broader instability.

In conclusion, the dispute over the Akwa Ibom oil wells continues to shape revenue allocation in the Niger Delta, where oil production generates significant income for the state. Akwa Ibom bases its position on previous court rulings, while Cross River continues to challenge the revenue distribution framework and express dissatisfaction with the outcome.