The Ondo State government has clarified that an oil well reported to have been discovered by the Nigerian Navy in Ogun State is actually located in Atijere community, Ondo State.
In a statement on Friday, Allen Sowore, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Strategic Communication, stated that the report in question had deliberately misrepresented the oil well’s location, misattributing it to Ogun State for unknown reasons. The misleading news reported that the abandoned oil well was located at Oke-Agor-Isekun, near the Ogun and Ondo border, but later contradicted itself by mentioning the oil well as being approximately five kilometers from Ondo’s border.
The Ondo government emphasized that the oil well is situated on Eba Island, which has historically been part of Ondo State. It was once part of the old Lagos Colony, and later the Ondo Province. Eba Island remains an integral part of Ondo’s Ilaje Local Government and is designated as a Forestry Reserve under Ondo State’s jurisdiction.
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The surrounding communities, including Ago Alaja, Balogun Bode, and Fasuyi, are all part of Atijere, with their village heads appointed by Ondo State. Additionally, the oil well falls under the Federal Government’s jurisdiction, as oil fields are managed by the Federation, but the state is seeking clarification from the National Boundary Commission to address the confusion about its location.
The Ondo State government has urged joint security patrols with Ogun State to prevent illegal activity at the site and reiterated its commitment to protecting the asset and ensuring the true location and host community are recognized.
