Akwa Ibom Dismisses Reports Of Oil Wells Return To Cross Rivers

Monday February 16, 2026
www.thenewsdesk.ng

The Akwa Ibom State government has refuted media reports suggesting that its legally owned 76 oil wells would likely be returned to Cross River.

The Supreme Court had, in separate judgements in 2002 and 2012, ruled that the contentious oil wells belong to Akwa Ibom State.

However, a media report circulating online suggested that Akwa Ibom may lose ownership of the wells following recommendation by the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, for Cross River State to be re-enlisted as an oil producing state after receiving the final report of the Federal Government’s Inter-Agency Committee on oil producing states.

Addressing a press conference at the Government House, Uyo, on Monday, the Attorney General and Commissioner fir Justice, Uko Udom, SAN, flanked by other commissioners and Paul Usoro, SAN, explained that what the committee received on 13th February 2026 was a draft report — not a decision, approved recommendation or even a reallocation of oil wells.

The attorney general said no inter-agency committee, no technical panel, and no institutional process can alter, amend, reinterpret, or sit in appeal over a judgment of the Supreme Court, adding that any action inconsistent with a subsisting judgment of the apex court would be unconstitutional, null and void.

He said RMAFC has described the circulating claims as speculative and not reflective of any final position.

”Firstly, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission has publicly clarified that what it received on 13th February 2026 is a draft report — not a decision, not an approved recommendation, and certainly not a reallocation of oil wells.

“The Commission has described the circulating claims as speculative and not reflective of any final position,” he said.

Udom stressed that the Supreme Court has dismissed Cross River’s claim over the estuarine southern territory, where all the oil wells are situated, in two separate rulings.