Niger Delta
A’Ibom, C’River Renew Offshore Oil Wells Dispute
Nigeria’s long-running dispute over offshore oil wells between Umo Eno’s Akwa Ibom State and Bassey Otu’s Cross River State has resurfaced, reviving questions about maritime boundaries, revenue derivation and the legal limits of administrative review in the country’s oil-dependent federation.
At the heart of the renewed tensions are reports suggesting that dozens of oil wells, often cited as about 76, are subject to reconsideration by federal institutions responsible for revenue allocation.
The claims have sparked political reactions in both states, each framing the issue through different historical, legal and economic lenses.
For Akwa Ibom State, the matter is a largely settled law. Governor of the State, Umo Eno, has insisted that two rulings of the Supreme Court of Nigeria already established the state’s ownership of the offshore wells and that no administrative process can reverse those decisions.
“There are two Supreme Court judgments that give Akwa Ibom State the right to those oil wells,” Eno told newsmen. “We are not sharing maritime boundaries with Cross River State but with the Republic of Cameroun, and the Nigerian Supreme Court has said so twice.”
He urged residents to remain calm, dismissing speculation about any transfer of oil wells as politically motivated.
“There is no cause for alarm. The people on the other side may cook up any story they want; raise propaganda, but this propaganda has no effect in the face of the two Supreme Court decisions establishing our ownership of the oil wells,” he said.
The governor also expressed confidence that the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu would respect the judicial rulings.
“I believe in the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; I believe that the rule of law will be respected,” he said. “We cannot throw away Supreme Court decisions twice on this particular matter.”
The dispute traces its roots to the geopolitical reshaping of Nigeria’s coastal boundaries following the 2002 ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that ceded the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon.
Before that decision, Cross River State was considered a littoral state, one with access to the sea, and therefore entitled to offshore oil derivation revenue.
But in 2012, Nigeria’s Supreme Court ruled that after Bakassi’s cession, Cross River State no longer possessed a maritime boundary and therefore ceased to qualify as a littoral state for offshore derivation purposes.
That decision effectively transferred control of the offshore oil wells to neighbouring Akwa Ibom State.
The 2012 Supreme Court judgment in Attorney?General of Cross River State v. Attorney?General of the Federation (Suit No. SC.175/2005, delivered July 10, 2012) addressed whether Cross River still qualified as a littoral state after the loss of the Bakassi Peninsula following the ICJ ruling.
One of the key passages often cited from the judgment explains the Court’s position on Cross River’s maritime status.
The Supreme Court held in substance that: “With the cession of the Bakassi Peninsula to the Republic of Cameroon pursuant to the judgment of the International Court of Justice, Cross River State no longer has a seaward boundary and consequently ceases to be a littoral state for the purpose of entitlement to derivation from offshore oil wells.”
This reasoning formed the basis of the Court’s decision to strike out Cross River’s claim seeking entitlement to offshore oil derivation, since only littoral states with a coastline adjoining the sea can benefit from offshore derivation under Nigeria’s constitutional framework.
The ruling was linked to the earlier international decision in the Land and Maritime Boundary between Cameroon and Nigeria, which transferred sovereignty over the Bakassi Peninsula from Nigeria to Cameroon.
Because Bakassi previously provided Cross River’s direct access to the sea, the Supreme Court concluded that once it was ceded, the state lost the maritime frontage required to claim offshore oil wells.
Akwa Ibom’s Attorney-General, Uko Udom, reiterated that position during a media briefing, saying the legal framework remains unchanged.
“No oil well has been ceded. No Supreme Court judgment has been overturned. No constitutional provision has been amended,” Udom said.
He explained that recent claims stemmed from a misinterpretation of a draft report submitted by a federal inter-agency committee to the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
“The commission clarified that what it received is a draft report, not a decision or approved recommendation,” he said. “The circulating claim is speculative and not reflective of any final position.”
Udom added that under Nigeria’s constitution, Supreme Court judgments are final.
“Under Section 235 of the Constitution, the decisions of the Supreme Court are final and binding on all authorities and persons throughout the federation.
“No inter-agency committee, no technical panel, and no institutional process can alter or sit on appeal over a judgment of the Supreme Court.” he said.
While the Akwa Ibom State Governor said the issue has been primarily settled legally, Cross River’s political leadership has emphasised historical grievances and questions of fairness
The Governor, Bassey Otu, said the state’s sacrifices for national unity, particularly the loss of Bakassi, should not translate into permanent economic disadvantage.
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The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), Prof. Ikpeme Ikpeme, has said the 850-bed hospital is overstretched, as it currently serves over five million patients.
He disclosed this on Friday during a media tour of the facility to showcase ongoing renovations and facelift in the hospital.
The CMD noted that, aside being the only tertiary healthcare facility servicing the state, UCTH also serviced neighbouring states of Akwa Ibom and Ebonyi.
He said the hospital also received referrals from neighbouring countries, including Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Central African Republic.
According to him, the 850-bed hospital faced persistent space constraints because of increasing patients inflow and expanding healthcare demands.
“This hospital currently operates 62 clinical and non-clinical departments as well as between 30 and 38 wards covering medical, surgical, paediatric, orthopaedic and specialised services.
“Most wards have undergone facelift, remodelling, or complete renovation to improve patient care and working conditions for healthcare professionals”, he said.
He disclosed that the hospital was constructing a new 106-bed emergency medicine facility to address the rising demand for healthcare services.
According to him, the facility will include trauma bays, intensive care units, neonatal wards, and three fully equipped trauma theatres.
Speaking on the remodeled wards, Ikpeme explained that they followed modern nursing principles, allowing one nurse to attend to a maximum of 10 patients.
He said relatives would be restricted to designated waiting areas to reduce interference with medical procedures and improve emergency response efficiency.
The CMD noted that the hospital had strengthened specialist services in orthopaedics, neurosurgery, obstetrics, radiology, and minimally invasive surgery.
“UCTH now performs hip and knee replacements, arthroscopy, sports medicine, and complex brain tumour surgeries.
“Our surgeons also conduct keyhole procedures for appendectomy, hysterectomy and other conditions with faster patient recovery periods,” he said
In power, the CMD said the hospital relied on solar power from a seven-megawatt plant, constructed by the Federal Government at the University of Calabar, as well as public power supply, and generators to sustain its operations.
He appealed to governments, organisations, and philanthropists to support infrastructure expansion, equipment procurement, and specialised healthcare projects.
The CMD said the hospital required additional incubators, ward expansions, and a stand-alone amenity facility for private healthcare services.
He used the opportunity to dismiss allegations of ethnic discrimination, insisting that the hospital does not reject workers or patients based on tribe or origin.
According to him, the institution recently honoured an Igbo pioneer physician by naming a ward after him in recognition of decades of service.
The CMD said the hospital maintained strict disciplinary procedures to address negligence, poor attitude, and unethical conduct among staff.
The Tide’s source reports that some of the units visited include, intensive care unit, Department of Radiology, Urology Clinic, and Opthalmology Clinic.
The Police Command in Akwa Ibom State says it has busted a child trafficking syndicate and arrested three suspects for conspiracy and unlawful sale of a newborn baby in the State.
The State’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Timfom John, who disclosed this in a statement in Uyo on Friday, said the three female suspects were arrested on Wednesday at about 1900hrs.
She said a complainant reported that his wife gave birth to a baby boy on May 7 and shockingly, shortly after delivery sold the newborn child to one of the suspects for N145, 000.
“Upon receipt of the report, operatives immediately swung into action, leading to the arrest of the suspects and the successful recovery of the baby boy.
“The suspects reportedly confessed to the crime during interrogation, while investigation has been expanded to identify and apprehend all individuals connected to the trafficking syndicate”, John said.
She said the State’s Commissioner of Police, Baba Azare, reiterated the Command’s commitment to sustaining aggressive intelligence-led policing in the state.
The Akwa-Ibom State Government has launched a statewide crackdown on unregistered scrap dealers and scavengers, shutting down illegal operations and arresting operators accused of violating environmental and public safety regulations.
The enforcement operation, led by the Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency (AKSEPWMA), followed the implementation of the state’s Waste Metal Scrap Law 2026, officials said.
AKSEPWMA Chairman, Obong Prince Ikim, said the exercise was aimed at regulating the scrap sector, protect the environment, and prevent criminal groups from operating under the guise of waste collection and metal trading.
“If you want to do scrap business, you must register,” Mr. Ikim said during the operation in Uyo, the state capital.
“Many people now hide under scrap trading to perpetrate nefarious activities”, he said.
According to him, dump site operators and scrap dealers who failed to register with the government risked closure and prosecution.
Authorities accused some operators of involvement in vandalism of public infrastructure and indiscriminate waste disposal, adding that investigations had uncovered criminal activities linked to several dump sites across the state.
“Some people vandalise government facilities in the name of scrap business and encourage indiscriminate dumping of refuse,” Mr. Ikim said.
He added that the state government and security agencies would continue efforts to enforce compliance and maintain public order.
“The Commissioner of Police has zero tolerance for criminality, and the Governor wants Akwa Ibom people to sleep with their eyes closed. We will fish out every defaulter”, he said.
Police officials involved in the operation said investigations showed that some criminal suspects used scrap yards and refuse dump sites as cover for illegal activities.
CSP Okwuzulike Vincent of the Itam Police Station said some suspects pretended to be mentally unstable while hiding ammunition and other suspicious items in makeshift shelters around dump locations.
The police officer praised the environmental agency for what he described as proactive efforts to sanitise the sector and pledged continued cooperation between law enforcement and the agency.
Officials said some first-time offenders arrested during the operation were released after profiling and signing undertakings, while repeat offenders would face prosecution.
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