… Says 2 Supreme Court Judgments Gave A’Ibom State Right To Those Oil Wells
By Bassey Nkponam
UYO
Governor Umo Eno has reassured citizens that there is no cause for alarm over reports alleging the transfer of oil wells to Cross River State, as there are two Supreme Court judgments that gave Akwa Ibom the right to those oil wells.
Eno, who stated this, Sunday, while fielding questions from Government House correspondents shortly on his arrival at the Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo, said no propaganda or sentiments can overturn two valid Supreme Court judgments affirming the State’s ownership of the oil wells, including the reported 76.
According to him, “there are two Supreme Court judgments that give Akwa Ibom State the right to those oil wells. We are not sharing maritime boundaries with Cross River State but with the Republic of Cameroun, and the Nigerian Supreme Court has said so twice to establish this fact”.
The governor expressed strong confidence in the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom, he said, places high premium on the rule of law in administering the country.
“I believe in the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I believe that the rule of law will be respected. I believe that we cannot throw away Supreme Court decisions twice on this particular matter.”
He urged Akwa Ibomites to remain calm, as there was no cause for alarm, saying, “the people on the other side may cook up any story they want; raise propaganda, but this propaganda has no effect in the face of the two Supreme Court decisions establishing our ownership of the oil wells. This is not about sentiments.
“The matter is one of established facts, not emotions. If we were to talk about sentiments, then Cross River State should equally contest the allocation of many Ibibio-speaking villages of Itu LGA in Akwa Ibom State to Cross River State. Why are they coming up now to whip up sentiments when irrefutable facts on the oil wells have already been established?” he queried.
Corroborating the rebuttal by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), which officially refuted reports alleging that the oil wells were ceded to Cross River, and describing such claims as false and misleading, Eno said, “facts are sacrosanct, and you cannot push them under the carpet with sentiments. Let our people remain calm because our President is a man who respects the rule of law”.
The governor later proceeded from the airport to inspect the ongoing construction of the Airport Hospital ahead of the April target for commencement of international flights. He also made a stop at the Dakkada Luxury Estate to assess the level of work and ensure compliance with agreed specifications.
Meanwhile, the attorney general and commissioner for Justice, Uko Udom, SAN, has said that all the oil wells in question, whether existing or newly referenced, lie within Akwa Ibom State’s recognized maritime and littoral boundaries based on established hydrographic coordinates and legally enforceable boundary adjudications, with their attribution following due process and relying on empirical geographic data.
Udom, who stated this on Monday, during a press briefing on the purported inter-agency committee report on oil wells, which took place at the Press Center of Government House, Uyo, said no oil well has been ceded. No Supreme Court judgment has been overturned, and no constitutional provision has been amended.
He urged citizens to remain calm, united, and confident, as the foundation of the state’s position is law, the strength of its case is geography, while the shield of its rights is the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The Akwa Ibom State Government has carefully reviewed recent media reports suggesting that oil wells attributed to Akwa Ibom State may be “returned” to Cross River State following the submission of a “report” by a Federal Government Inter-Agency Committee to the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).
“We consider it necessary to restate the facts clearly and authoritatively, in order to prevent misinformation and deliberate distortion of constitutional realities.
“Firstly, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission has publicly clarified that what it received on 13th February 2026 is a draft report — not a decision, not an approved recommendation, and certainly not a reallocation of oil wells. The Commission has described the circulating claims as speculative and not reflective of any final position.
“Beyond this procedural clarification lies a more fundamental issue — the binding authority of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and the settled history of this dispute.
“In Suit No. 124/1999, Cross River State sued Akwa Ibom State over two principal matters- the northern non-estuarine boundary involving 24 villages of Oku, Itu, and Ayadehe in Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State; and the southern estuarine boundary where the oil wells are located.
“On 24th June 2005, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Cross River State only with respect to portions of the northern boundary. The Court dismissed Cross River’s claim over the estuarine southern territory, where all the oil wells are situated.
“In its landmark pronouncement, the Court made it clear that the October 10, 2002 judgment of the International Court of Justice on the land and maritime boundary between Nigeria and Cameroon had fundamentally altered Cross River State’s coastal status. The Court held that the ICJ decision effectively eliminated Cross River’s estuarine sector, with the legal implication that Cross River no longer possessed a seaward boundary.
“Subsequently, despite Akwa Ibom State’s efforts to promote peaceful engagement and preserve kinship and harmony, further litigation was initiated by Cross River State seeking clarification on offshore entitlements.
“On 10th July 2012, the Supreme Court again ruled decisively in favour of Akwa Ibom State, holding that: Cross River State was no longer a littoral state entitled to offshore derivation; its case was founded on a legally unsustainable assumption; and Akwa Ibom State’s entitlement to the oil wells was fully recognized.
“The legal position therefore stands firmly established: following the cession of the Bakassi Peninsula pursuant to the 2002 ICJ judgment, Cross River State ceased to have a seaward boundary and lost its status as a littoral state for purposes of offshore oil derivation.
“Under Section 235 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the decisions of the Supreme Court are final and binding on all authorities and persons throughout the Federation. There is no higher court. There is no supervisory committee. There is no administrative override.
“No inter-agency committee, no technical panel, and no institutional process can alter, amend, reinterpret, or sit in appeal over a judgment of the Supreme Court. Any action inconsistent with a subsisting judgment of the apex court would be unconstitutional, null, and void.
“Let it therefore be clearly stated: No oil well has been ceded. No Supreme Court judgment has been overturned. No constitutional provision has been amended.
“To the good people of Akwa Ibom State, we say this with utmost clarity and confidence: your government is vigilant, engaged, and fully committed to protecting the economic interests of our State. We are following every institutional process closely, participating where required, and asserting our rights lawfully and firmly.
“Akwa Ibom State will not surrender its God-given resources. We will not relinquish what rightfully belongs to our people under the constitution and under binding judicial authority. Our resources are held in trust for present and future generations, and this Government will defend them responsibly, peacefully, and resolutely.
“We urge our citizens to remain calm, united, and confident. The foundation of our position is law. The strength of our case is geography. The shield of our rights is the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”, the text read.
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