Ilaje monarchs seek Tinubu’s intervention
Foremost traditional rulers from the oil-rich Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State have urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently intervene in the dispute over the ownership of oil-rich
- Oil-rich island belongs to Ondo, royal fathers insist
Foremost traditional rulers from the oil-rich Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State have urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently intervene in the dispute over the ownership of oil-rich Eba Island.
They warned that the situation could trigger a major crisis if not handled swiftly.
The monarchs rejected claims by the traditional rulers and leaders from neighbouring Ogun State that the disputed Eba Island belongs to them.
Speaking under the aegis of Ilaje Local Government Traditional Chieftaincy Committee yesterday in Igbokoda, the Ilaje rulers insisted that “Eba Island belongs to Ondo State and is not negotiable.’’
The disagreement followed the January 22, 2026 announcement by Governor Dapo Abiodun confirming that Ogun State had joined the league of oil-producing states after receiving presidential approval for commercial oil drilling on Eba Island.
The approval was reportedly granted by President Tinubu after due diligence by Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and other regulatory agencies.
However, the Ilaje monarchs described the claim by leaders in Ogun Waterside Local Government and Ijebu axis as historically inaccurate and a distortion of long-established administrative, traditional and geographical records.
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The Amapetu of Mahinland, Oba Williams Akinyomi, who led the delegation, maintained that Eba Island, alongside Atijere and other surrounding settlements, historically formed part of Ilaje land under the jurisdiction of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
According to him, historical records indicate that the pre-colonial boundary between Mahin Kingdom in Ilaje and the Ijebu axis has always been marked by the meeting point of the red and white sand at Efire/Ofara River, a natural landmark that still exists.
He called on the Federal Government to intervene in order to prevent a potential crisis, saying the disputed Eba Island was situated at Atijere in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The Secretary of the committee and Odoka of Ogbara Kingdom, Oba Femi Ogbaro, cited electoral evidence to support the claim that the island belongs to Ondo State.
He noted that Lugboroko Polling Unit 24 and Basa Polling Unit 21, located within the Eba Island Forest Reserve area, fall under Mahin Ward IV in Ilaje Local Government.
“The recognition and operation of these polling units within the Nigerian electoral system further reinforces the long-established administrative and political jurisdiction of Ilaje Local Government over these communities,” he said.
The Moloku of Atijere Kingdom, Oba Samuel Adeoye, who insisted that the island is located within his kingdom, called for dialogue between both states.
He says Eba Island is different from Eba community, explaining that the oil discovery is located specifically on Eba Island.
Recall that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa also declared that Eba Island belongs to Ondo State, noting that the state is not in ‘conflict’ with Ogun State over the disputed oil asset deposited in the area.
Aiyedatiwa, who spoke in an interview with some select journalists at the Government House in Akure, said the ongoing discussions surrounding Eba Island were not about ownership of oil assets, but about properly determining their location.
