Akwa Ibom oil wells dispute settled as state dismisses Cross River claims, insisting Supreme Court’s 2012 ruling remains final and binding
The Akwa Ibom oil wells dispute has been declared a closed matter by the state government, following renewed claims by Cross River State regarding ownership.
Also read: Akwa Ibom Launches Bold Health Reforms to Eliminate Quack Clinics
The state government insists the 2012 ruling of the Supreme Court, which affirmed Akwa Ibom’s rights to the 76 offshore oil wells, remains binding and irreversible.
Commissioner for Information, Elder Aniekan Umanah, dismissed suggestions of a review or political settlement, describing such claims as misleading and unfounded.
“This is a settled matter. The Supreme Court, in July 2012, ruled on this issue and placed a permanent seal on the conversation,” Umanah said.
“That is the highest court of the land. Once it gives a ruling, it is final.”
He clarified that the matter was brought to court by Cross River State, not Akwa Ibom, and the Apex Court’s decision remains conclusive.
Cross River had approached the Supreme Court following dissatisfaction with a political resolution initiated by then-President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2006, which allocated certain oil wells to Akwa Ibom.
After the ceding of the oil-rich Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon in 2008, Cross River lost its maritime status, a key factor in the court’s decision.
Justice Olufunmilola Adekeye, delivering the lead judgment on behalf of the panel of seven justices, held that the state could not lay claim to offshore oil wells without maritime boundaries.
“The plaintiff has no maritime territory since the ceding of the Bakassi Peninsula and the Cross River estuary,” she said. “It is landlocked.”
The court further upheld the position of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, confirming its right to assign the oil wells to Akwa Ibom.
Umanah called on the public to disregard any reports hinting at a fresh review of the matter and restated that the 13 per cent derivation from the oil wells rightfully belongs to Akwa Ibom.
He also used the opportunity to highlight Governor Umo Eno’s progress under the ARISE Agenda.
According to Umanah, visible strides have been made across sectors such as education, agriculture, youth empowerment, security, and infrastructure.
Also read: Akwa Ibom Youth Empowerment Gains Momentum with Digital Training
He said the ARISE Agenda is more than policy—it is “a real experience being felt across Akwa Ibom.”
