The Atijere Development Association (ADA) has dismissed claims that the oil field located on Eba Island belongs wholly or partly to Makun-Omi in Ogun State, describing the assertions as false, misleading and without factual foundation.
In a statement issued in Atijere Kingdom, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, the association maintained that Eba Island has, for decades, been administered as part of the Ondo State Forest Reserve under Atijere, without any formal objection or legal challenge from Ogun State.
According to ADA, the long-standing and uninterrupted administrative control of the area by Ondo State constitutes strong evidence of its jurisdiction, in line with established principles of territorial administration and acquiescence.
The association explained that the Eba Oil Field is situated at Ago-Alaja/Balogun Community, an area it said has historically been governed under Atijere Kingdom in Ilaje Local Government Area. It stressed that traditional authority, security arrangements and community affairs in the area have consistently been overseen by Atijere institutions, adding that the community has never been under the control of Makun-Omi.
ADA further stated that the original inhabitants of Eba Island are Ilaje people by ethnicity and tradition, whose continuous occupation of the area and allegiance to Atijere Kingdom, it said, further support Ondo State’s claim under customary and historical law.
Reaffirming its position, the association maintained that Eba Island and its oil fields are geographically and naturally located within Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The group cautioned that attempts to misrepresent the status of the island through public statements or propaganda are unlawful and capable of generating avoidable inter-state tension.
The Atijere Development Association therefore called on all parties to refrain from spreading misinformation and urged that any claims or disputes concerning the area be pursued strictly through constitutionally recognised legal and boundary resolution mechanisms.
