By Amawu Cletus Albert Amawu.
CROSS RIVER STATE RESTATES POSITION ON 76 OIL WELLS, ACCUSES AKWA IBOM OF MISINFORMATION.
“We remain committed to justice and the truth” — CRSG counters Akwa Ibom’s claims with fresh facts, Presidential intervention underway.
Calabar, Nigeria – 28 July 2025.
The Cross River State Government (CRSG) has issued a strongly worded response to what it described as “misrepresentations and outright falsehoods” made by Akwa Ibom State in the ongoing controversy surrounding 76 oil wells located in the Bakassi region. The reaction follows a press release issued on 24 July 2025 by Mr Uko Udom, SAN, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Akwa Ibom State.
In the official press statement signed by the Cross River State Commissioner for Information, Dr Erasmus Ekpang, the state government clarified its stance on the disputed oil wells and expressed disappointment over Akwa Ibom’s “deliberate misinformation campaign.”
“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,” the statement noted. “However, this time, it is important to clarify the misinformation peddled by the Akwa Ibom State Government.”
The ICJ and Green Tree Agreement
The CRSG recalled that the matter has deep roots in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) judgement of 2002, which ceded only the southern portion of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon. The government insisted that the western Bakassi remains part of Nigeria and Cross River State, a point it says Akwa Ibom conveniently ignores.
Furthermore, the implementation of the ICJ judgement was done through the Green Tree Agreement of 2008, facilitated by the United Nations, which established the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission responsible for demarcating boundaries.
Alleged Manipulation by Federal Agencies
The statement accused federal bodies, including the National Boundary Commission and the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), of bias. According to the CRSG, these agencies applied a so-called “Technical Option” at a retreat in Kano in August 2008, against the historical boundary precedence to allocate the disputed oil wells to Akwa Ibom.
“Akwa Ibom State, in their petition to the National Boundary Commission, had prayed for the application of the ‘Historic Title Option’ in its boundary dispute with Rivers State. It is ironic that a different standard was applied when it involved Cross River State,” the government observed.
Omission and Denial of Participation
In a significant revelation, the CRSG disclosed that Cross River State was not invited to the Kano retreat of August 2008, despite being a principal party, because it had no boundary dispute with Akwa Ibom prior to that date.
“While Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Bayelsa States were invited to the retreat, Cross River was excluded,” the statement said.
Recent Developments: A Committee of Truth
The statement recounted that in March 2024, Governor Sen. Prince Bassey Edet Otu was alerted to the existence of several oil wells within OMLs 114 and 123, reportedly located in Cross River’s maritime boundaries, yet yielding no revenue to the State.
This prompted the Governor to petition the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), leading to the formation of an inter-agency committee comprising:
Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation
National Boundary Commission
Nigeria Upstream Regulatory Commission
Surveyors-General of oil-producing states, including Akwa Ibom and Cross River, were observers. The committee’s findings were eye-opening.
“In May 2024, the committee plotted the maritime boundary using the 11th edition of the National Administrative Map and the 2004 well dichotomy study map. At the end of the exercise, 67 oil wells were located within Cross River’s maritime boundary,” the Commissioner revealed.
Call for Presidential Intervention
The Cross River State Government acknowledged the intervention of the Presidency and expressed its readiness to follow the path of dialogue, as directed.
“The Presidency has rightly directed both States to consult widely, hold stakeholder engagements and report back. Cross River State remains committed to unearthing the truth and correcting the grave injustice done to her,” Dr Ekpang said.
He, however, criticised the stance of the Akwa Ibom Attorney General, saying his posturing and statements indicate an unwillingness to follow due process.
Final Word
The Commissioner concluded emphatically that the press statement issued on 28 July 2025 shall serve as the “only official response” from Cross River State on the matter for now.
“Truth crushed to the ground shall surely rise again,” the statement concluded, echoing the government’s resolve to pursue justice.
As the matter continues to gain national attention, stakeholders await the outcome of the presidentially mandated consultations with cautious optimism. Meanwhile, Cross River insists the oil wells
in question are rightly within its territorial maritime domain and must be returned accordingly.