PRESS STATEMENT
RE: OFFICIAL REBUTTAL OF CLAIMS ON THE OWNERSHIP AND LOCATION OF EBA ISLAND OIL WELLS
The Atijere Development Association (ADA) categorically rejects recent claims suggesting that the oil wells located at Eba Island belong wholly or partly to Ogun State. Such assertions are false, misleading, and unsupported by law or fact.
1. Geographical and Legal Location
Authoritative cartographic records and geographical coordinates (Latitude 6°24′1″N and Longitude 4°31′10″E) place Eba Island firmly within Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State. These coordinates align with officially recognized national and international mapping systems and cannot be altered by opinion or speculation.
2. Longstanding Administrative Control
Eba Island has, for decades, been administered as part of the Atijere Forest Reserve under Ondo State Government authority without any formal protest or legal challenge from Ogun State. Under established principles of territorial administration and acquiescence, this uninterrupted control constitutes strong legal evidence of jurisdiction.
3. Location of the Oil Field (Ago Balogun Community)
The Eba Oil Field is situated at Ago Balogun Community, historically governed under Atijere Kingdom in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State. All traditional, security, and community relations relating to the oil field have consistently been conducted through Atijere authorities.
4. Indigenous Identity
The original inhabitants of Eba Island are Ilaje people by ethnicity and tradition. Their continuous occupation and allegiance to Atijere Kingdom further establish Ondo State’s territorial claim under customary and historical law.
5. No Legal Instrument in Favor of Ogun State
There exists no judgment of any competent court, no National Boundary Commission determination, and no constitutional instrument designating Eba Island or the Eba Oil Field as part of Ogun State. In law, territorial ownership can only be established by judicial or statutory authority, not by media publications.
Conclusion
The Atijere Development Association affirms that Eba Island and its oil wells are legally and geographically located in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State. Any attempt to distort this reality through public propaganda is unlawful and capable of causing avoidable inter-state tension.
ADA therefore calls on all parties to refrain from further misinformation and to pursue any claims strictly through constitutionally recognized legal and boundary resolution mechanisms.
Signed:
Atijere Development Association (ADA)
Atijere Kingdom, Ilaje Local Government Area,
Ondo State
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