Kluemedia/Calabar
The age-long dispute between Akwa Ibom and Cross River States over the ownership of 76 offshore oil wells has resurfaced, reigniting tensions between the neighbouring states following a flurry of strongly-worded statements exchanged on Friday.
In a statement titled “76 Oil Wells: Restatement of Facts”, the Akwa Ibom State Government reaffirmed its legal ownership of the disputed oil assets, stating that the matter had been conclusively resolved by the Supreme Court. The statement, signed by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Uko Udom (SAN), asserted that Cross River lost two court cases, with the apex court citing the 2002 International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling that ceded Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon—thereby stripping Cross River of its littoral status and its eligibility for offshore entitlements.
“The Supreme Court, in its landmark ruling of 24th June 2005, ruled in favour of Cross River only on the northern boundary involving 24 villages but dismissed their claim over the estuarine southern territory, where the oil wells are located,” the Akwa Ibom statement clarified. It added that the apex court reaffirmed this position in another judgment delivered on 10th July 2012.
Akwa Ibom also revealed that it once offered a ₦250 million monthly ex gratia payment to Cross River in a bid to resolve the matter amicably—an offer it said was rejected. The state further accused unnamed Cross River officials of making “incendiary and patently false claims,” calling instead for political dialogue rather than media confrontations.
Meanwhile, the Cross River State Government has distanced itself from any recent statements or claims concerning the oil wells. In a counter-statement issued by Andrea Ekeng Inyang, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Bassey Otu on New Media, the government denied making any official comment on the matter and disassociated itself from remarks attributed to former Speaker Rt. Hon. John Gaul Lebo.
The state maintained that the resurfacing of the debate was likely linked to new hydrographic and geophysical surveys, which may have challenged past assumptions about its maritime status.
“To accuse the Otu administration of inciting the public against the government and people of Akwa Ibom State is not only inaccurate but deeply insulting,” the statement read, noting that Cross River has maintained a peaceful stance and even offered opportunities to Akwa Ibom indigenes living in the state.
Describing Akwa Ibom’s accusations as an attempt to “tarnish the hard-earned reputation and collaborative spirit” of the Otu administration, Cross River urged for restraint and mutual respect.
The renewed verbal exchange comes despite recent calls by President Bola Tinubu for both states to adopt a political approach and pursue peaceful, mutually beneficial cooperation over the lingering oil well dispute.
The disagreement stems from the ICJ’s 2002 ruling that transferred sovereignty over the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon, a decision that effectively eliminated Cross River’s direct access to the Atlantic Ocean and its eligibility for offshore oil revenues. Akwa Ibom has since been officially recognised as the littoral state entitled to the wells, but Cross River continues to question the ruling’s broader implications.