Babatope Okeowo 
The Ondo State government has faulted the claim of the Nigerian Navy that it has foiled an attempt by oil thieves to exploit an abandoned oil well at Oke-Agor-Isekun, an island near the Ogun and Ondo States boundary.
The State government, however, said although it shares boundaries with Ogun State, the land in question belonged to the state since time immemorial.
The Navy had said it uncovered the abandoned oil well in Ogun territory mentioning the communities belonging to Ondo State. The Navy said the island is situated approximately five kilometres from the Ondo State boundary and has been identified as a hotspot for criminal activities.
But the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa on Strategic Communication, Mr. Allen Sowore said Ogun and Ondo are two distinct states in the South West, with well-defined boundaries.
Sowore said these states have enjoyed a long-standing, cordial relationship based on shared values and mutual understanding. He said 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.
Sowore, in his statement, said, “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 the Atijere Native Authority.
“Subsequently, Eba Island was incorporated into the Ilaje District Council, with Atijere as its headquarters around 1950. When Ithe laje/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.
“Under 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 the 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.”
