A reported oil discovery in southwest Nigeria has sparked a territorial dispute between communities in Ogun and Ondo states, with rival traditional rulers laying claim to the area earmarked for exploration and warning against any move that could displace local residents.
Tensions rose after Ogun State authorities said President Bola Tinubu had approved the start of commercial oil drilling in the state. Initial government statements referred to Tongeji Island in Ipokia Local Government Area, but officials later clarified that the approved location was Eba, in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area.
The clarification did little to calm the situation. While leaders in Ogun welcomed the development, a traditional ruler in neighbouring Ondo State insisted that the area where oil was discovered lies within his domain.
The Molokun of Atijere Kingdom in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, Oba Samuel Adeoye, said Eba Island belongs to the Atijere community and warned that residents would resist any attempt to cede the land to Ogun State.
“From time immemorial, Eba Island has been under the control of Atijere,” Adeoye said in an interview. He cited historical records and administrative documents, arguing that the settlement, its leadership structure and its residents are linked to Ondo State.
He said the village at the centre of the dispute dates back to 1937 and that its local chief was appointed by the Atijere kingdom. “Our people are still there farming, fishing and trading,” he said, adding that they had never paid royalties to neighbouring communities in Ogun State.
Adeoye said Atijere would protest any attempt to begin oil exploration without resolving the boundary issue. “We will not allow any exploration to happen there. It is our land,” he said, calling on the federal government to conduct a thorough investigation to establish ownership. He also claimed the oil site falls within an Ondo State forest reserve.
Earlier, a traditional ruler in Ogun Waterside, the Arole of Makun Omi, Oba Kazeem Salami, welcomed the reported presidential approval, saying commercial oil drilling would help Ogun State achieve a long-standing ambition to become an oil-producing state.
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Through his spokesman, Salami said oil production would promote development and economic inclusion in Makun Omi and surrounding coastal communities, adding that the area would provide a peaceful environment for operations.
However, Ondo community leaders rejected those claims. Prince Orimisan Bolaji, an indigene of Atijere, said historical records and Ondo State government documents showed that Eba Island falls within the Atijere Kingdom. He urged the public to disregard claims that the oil well belongs to Ogun State, describing them as “territorial overreach”.
The Ogun State government dismissed the Ondo claims, insisting that Eba lies within Ogun Waterside Local Government Area. The governor’s special adviser on media and strategy, Kayode Akinmade, said official maps and previous studies confirmed the location as part of Ogun State.
“Any traditional ruler can say anything,” Akinmade said. “According to the Nigerian map and all existing records, the area is in Ogun Waterside Local Government of Ogun State.”
He said oil exploration was a federal matter, noting that crude oil falls under Nigeria’s exclusive legislative list. “The directive came from the president, not the Ogun State governor,” he said, adding that if Ondo State had a legitimate claim, it would be addressed at the federal level.
Akinmade said Ogun State was formally engaged by the federal government during discussions on the project, describing it as “government-to-government”.
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Boundary disputes are common in Nigeria’s oil-producing regions, often complicating exploration and development. Analysts say unresolved territorial claims can delay projects and heighten local tensions if not carefully managed.
For now, the federal government has yet to publicly clarify the precise location of the oil discovery or how it plans to address the competing claims, leaving communities on both sides awaiting further direction.
