The Akwa Ibom State Government has firmly denied initiating legal action against Cross River State over the ownership of 76 offshore oil wells, accusing its neighbour of spreading misinformation and inciting tension.
In a press statement issued in Uyo on Friday, the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Uko Udom (SAN), clarified that it was Cross River that launched and lost two lawsuits against Akwa Ibom, emphasising that “we remain open to a political solution” to resolve the dispute amicably.
Udom’s statement addressed renewed petitions and inflammatory claims from Cross River regarding the oil wells, which have been judicially affirmed as belonging to Akwa Ibom.
“Contrary to the narrative currently being propagated, the Government of Akwa Ibom State did not initiate any legal action against the Government of Cross River State regarding the disputed oil wells. Rather, it was the Cross River State Government that instituted and serially lost two suits against Akwa Ibom State,” Udom stated.
The dispute traces back to Cross River’s 1999 lawsuit (Suit No. 124/1999), which claimed both 24 northern villages and the southern estuarine territory containing the 76 oil wells.
On June 24, 2005, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Cross River for the villages but dismissed their claim over the oil wells, citing the 2002 International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling that ceded the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon, stripping Cross River of its littoral status.
A second suit (SC. 27/2010) filed by Cross River was also dismissed on July 10, 2012, with the Supreme Court stating, per Adekeye, JSC, “A non-littoral state cannot claim oil wells offshore, as it has no maritime boundary.”
Despite Akwa Ibom’s conciliatory efforts, including a proposed ₦250 million monthly ex gratia payment from derivation revenue—rejected by Cross River in 2006—the neighbouring state has continued to pursue the matter through litigation and, recently, media campaigns.
Udom criticised Cross River’s “incendiary and patently false claims” that have agitated Akwa Ibom residents, urging dialogue instead.
“We reiterate that Akwa Ibom State remains open to a political solution, provided such does not seek to deny our people their lawful and judicially-affirmed rights,” he said.
Udom also noted that any political resolution must address the Akwa Ibom communities transferred to Cross River, as both issues were adjudicated by the Supreme Court.
He suggested federal interventions, such as ecological funds or South-South Development Commission programs, to support Cross River without undermining Akwa Ibom’s entitlements.
Reflecting on Akwa Ibom’s acceptance of losing 86 oil wells to Rivers State in 2011, Udom called for peaceful coexistence and cautioned against further inflammatory campaigns, aligning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s counsel for constructive dialogue between the states.