28/07/2025
76 Oil wells Crisis: The Hidden Truth Everyone must know
The attention of the Cross River State Government (CRSG) has been drawn to a Press Release issued by Uko Udom, SAN, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Akwa Ibom State on the 24th July, 2025 wherein several misrepresentations and outright falsehood were made against the Government and the good people of Cross River State. Given the sensitivity of the issue, the Cross River State Government would ordinarily not join in litigating this matter in the Court of Public Opinion, just as our sister State desires in the light of her various publications on the subject matter. Nevertheless, this time, it is important to clarify the misinformation peddled by the Akwa Ibom
State Government on this issue of 76 oil Wells
2. It is correct that the Government of Cameroon filed a case at the international Court of Justice (ICJ) against Nigeria in 1994 claiming ownership of the Bakassi Peninsula in Cross River State. The ICJ delivered its Judgment in 2002 ceding the Southern portion of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon leaving out Western Bakassi in Nigeria in the Judgment. The clear implication of that judgment is that Western Bakassi remains in Cross River State and in Nigeria.
3. It must be noted that the judgment of the International Court of Justice was implemented by the Signing of the Green Tree Agreement in 2008 where Nigeria and Cameroon ,with the help of the United Nations, set up the structures for the handover Peninsular to Cameroon and initiated the Joint Boundary Demarcation Committee known as the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission with the mandate of mapping out the land and maritime boundary between Nigeria and Cameroon.
4. While the Committee was yet to commence its work of mapping out the actual boundary line of the territories belonging to Nigeria and Cameroon over Bakassi and Lake Chad, the National Boundary Commission and the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission held a retreat in Kano in August 2008 and applied what they called the “Technical Option” as against the “Historic Title Option” earlier used in demarcating the boundary between Cross River and Akwa Ibom States and awarded the 76 oil wells located in western Bakassi to Akwa Ibom State. Let it also be noted that Akwa Ibom State in their petition to the National Boundary Commission had prayed for the application of the Historic Title Option in the resolution of her boundary dispute with Rivers State as was the case with her boundary with Cross River State.
5. It is worthy of note also that while Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Bayelsa States were invited to the retreat held in Kano, Cross River State was not invited because it had no boundary dispute with Akwa Ibom prior to August, 2008.
6. Notwithstanding the several judgments of the Supreme Court referred to in the Press Release under reference, in March, 2024, the attention of His Excellency, Sen. Prince Bassey Edet Otu, the Governor of Cross River State was drawn to the fact that several oil wells, in OML 114 and 123 Oil fields, were indeed within the Cross River State’s maritime boundary and for which it derived no revenue whatsoever. As a responsible leader, His Excellency, Governor Otu engaged the relevant authority, namely the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission on this revelation.
7. Upon receipt of Cross River State’s Complaint, an inter-Agency Committee, Comprising of the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation, National Boundary Commission, Nigeria Upstream Regulatory Commission was constituted with Surveyors- General of Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Cross River and other oil producing States as observers to determine the veracity of the Cross River State’s Claim.
8. In May, 2024, the Committee carried out its mandate by plotting the Maritime boundary of Cross River State using the Nation’s Administrative Map 11th edition, as well as the 2004 well dichotomy Study Map and thereafter geolocated the oil wells found therein. At the end of the exercise, sixty-seven (67) oil wells were found to be within the Maritime Boundary of Cross River State. It is this uncomfortable truth, that our sister State (Akwa Ibom) seeks to suppress as it lays bare the injustice Cross River State has had to suffer since the decision of the Supreme Court delivered in 2012, which Akwa Ibom State Government now hides behind.
9. The Presidency has waded into the matter as it should rightly do and has directed both States to consult widely, hold stakeholder’s engagements and report back. By the posturing of the Attorney General of Akwa Ibom State and the contents of his Press Release, it is abundantly clear that Akwa Ibom State has no interest in the process outlined by the Presidency. On the other hand, Cross River State, standing on the biblical injunction that truth crushed to the ground shall surely rise again, remains committed to unearthing the truth and correcting the grave injustice done to her.
10. This Press Statement shall serve as the ONLY RESPONSE on this issue by Cross River State.
