The Akwa Ibom State Government has dismissed reports suggesting that oil wells currently attributed to the state may be returned to Cross River State, describing such claims as speculative, misleading, and without legal basis.
Addressing journalists at a press briefing in Uyo, the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Uko Udom, SAN, said the reports misrepresented both constitutional realities and ongoing administrative procedures.
He explained that the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) merely received a draft report from a Federal Government Inter-Agency Committee on February 13, 2026, stressing that the document does not constitute a final decision, approved recommendation, or reallocation of oil wells.
According to him, the Commission has itself publicly clarified that the claims currently circulating are speculative and do not reflect any official or final position.
Hon. Udom emphasized that beyond administrative processes, the matter is firmly settled by binding judgments of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
He traced the dispute to Suit No. 124/1999, in which Cross River State challenged Akwa Ibom State over boundary delineations, including the estuarine southern territory where the oil wells are located. He recalled that on June 24, 2005, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Cross River State only in respect of portions of the northern boundary, while dismissing its claims over the southern estuarine territory.
The apex court, he said, relied heavily on the October 10, 2002 judgment of the International Court of Justice on the Nigeria–Cameroon boundary, which altered Cross River State’s coastal status following the cession of the Bakassi Peninsula.
He further referenced the July 10, 2012 judgment of the Supreme Court, which reaffirmed that Cross River State was no longer a littoral state entitled to offshore derivation and described its claims as legally untenable. The ruling, he said, unequivocally upheld Akwa Ibom State’s entitlement to the oil wells within its maritime boundaries.
Citing Section 235 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Attorney General stressed that decisions of the Supreme Court are final and binding on all authorities and persons throughout the federation, noting that no inter-agency committee, technical panel, or administrative body has the power to override or amend such judgments.
Hon. Udom assured residents that no oil well has been ceded, no Supreme Court judgment has been overturned, and no constitutional provision has been altered. He reaffirmed that all the oil wells in question lie within Akwa Ibom State’s recognised maritime and littoral boundaries, as established by hydrographic data and enforceable judicial decisions.
The state government urged residents to remain calm and united, reiterating its commitment to safeguarding Akwa Ibom State’s economic interests through lawful and constitutional means.
Also present at the briefing were the Honourable Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah; the Commissioner for Finance and Special Duties, Emem Bob; the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ekerete Udoh; and other senior government officials
By Chief Edet Isong
