Supreme Court stops FG from ceding 17 oil wells to Imo

The Supreme Court Wednesday granted an order of injunction stopping the Federal Government and its agencies from ceding 17 disputed oil wells located at Akri and Mbede to Imo State.

The order of injunction was granted to stop an alleged implementation of the handing over of the oil wells pending the determination of a suit brought before the apex court by the Rivers State government.

In a chamber ruling by the Supreme Court in an ex-parte application argued by Emmanuel Ukala (SAN), the apex court restrained the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and the Attorney General of Imo State from taking any further action on the ownership of the disputed oil wells till the ownership dispute surrounding them is resolved.

The apex court also barred the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and the Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and the office of the Accountant General of the Federation from approving, implementing, or giving effect in any manner to a letter from RMAFC office, with reference number RMC/O&G/47/1/264 of July 1, 2021, which cancelled the equal sharing of proceeds from the 17 oil wells by Rivers and Imo states.

The apex court subsequently fixed September 21, 2021 for hearing of the substantive matter.

Rivers through its Attorney General had dragged the AGF and the Attorney General of Imo State before the Supreme Court praying for declaration that the boundary between Rivers State and Imo State, as delineated on Nigeria administrative map, 10, 11 and 12 editions and other maps bearing similar delineations are inaccurate, incorrect and do not represent the legitimate and lawful boundaries between Rivers and Imo states.

The plaintiff also sought a declaration that as far as Nigeria’s administrative map 10,11 and 12 editions and other maps bearing similar delineations, relate to the boundaries between Rivers and Imo, the said maps are unlawful and void, cannot be relied on to determine the extent of the territorial governmental jurisdiction of Rivers State and to determine the revenue accruing to Rivers State from the federation account, including the application of the principle of derivation and other revenue allocation principles as contained in the 1999 Constitution.

It further applied that the Supreme Court declare that the correct instrument maps and documents, to be relied on to determine the boundary between Rivers and Imo states, are those used by the plaintiff in delineating the boundary line between the two states.