CSOs urge Tinubu to intervene in Cross River oil wells controversy 

CSOs urge Tinubu to intervene in Cross River oil wells controversy

By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja

A coalition of Civil Society Organizations is calling on President Bola Tinubu to review the 2024 and 2025 Inter-Agency Committee Reports on oil well verification and derivation allocation with regards to Cross River and Akwa Ibom states.

The coalition of CSOs, maritime experts, technical mapping professionals, and public policy analysts, made the appeal in a communiqué it issued on Thursday, March 12, 2026.

It urged the president to direct the proper demarcation of the Nigeria-Cameroon maritime boundary within the Cross River maritime corridor in accordance with the 2002 ICJ judgment map.

The coalition’ said it had undertaken fact-finding mission to Nigeria’s offshore maritime boundary areas with Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, including offshore hydrocarbon blocks OML 114, OML 115, and OML 123.

It said the fact finding mission took place on February 28, 2026, during which the delegation undertook physical observation of the maritime corridor, technical mapping verification, examination of relevant international legal instruments, and consulted maritime governance stakeholders.

The group stated that the objective of the mission was to independently verify Nigeria’s maritime boundaries, offshore hydrocarbon entitlements, and the implications of administrative and regulatory decisions affecting the Cross River maritime corridor.

It said that its findings The coalition in the statement said that at the conclusion of the mission, it unanimously resolved and confirmed the following findings.

“The 2002 Judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) between Nigeria and Cameroon only ceded the southern Bakassi Peninsula settlements of Atabong, Akwabana and Archibong Town, extending from the Akwayefe River Estuary up to Rio del Rey, to the Republic of Cameroon, as reflected on the official ICJ judgment map and confirmed through physical verification during the mission.

“The Cross River Estuary and the western Bakassi peninsular islands of Dayspring I and II, Abana and Kwa Island were not ceded under the ICJ judgment. Nigeria therefore continues to maintain maritime boundary continuity between the Cross River Estuary and the Akwayefe River Estuary, consistent with both the ICJ cartographic evidence and the physical geography of the region.

“The Cross River Estuary was not extinguished nor nullified by the ICJ judgment. The estuary remains Nigeria’s natural mouth of the sea and gateway to Nigerian internal waters, thereby providing Cross River State with direct littoral offshore access to the Atlantic Ocean.

The coalition said that the Green Tree Agreement of 2006, signed as part of the peaceful implementation of the ICJ ruling, did not cede any additional Nigerian territory to Cameroon beyond the ICJ judgment.

“Rather, the Agreement serves primarily as a humanitarian, administrative and governance framework regulating the orderly transition of authority and safeguarding the rights and welfare of affected communities.”

It noted that the 2006 political solution negotiated by President Olusegun Obasanjo following the handover of Bakassi and the signing of the Green Tree Agreement, allocated 76 oil wells to Cross

River State and 14 oil wells to Akwa Ibom State.

The coalition questioned the decision of the National Boundary Commission (NBC) in

2008 rendering Cross River State a non-littoral, saying the decision raises serious constitutional, economic and national security concerns.

“The failure of the National Boundary Commission for over twenty�four years to demarcate the Nigeria–Cameroon international maritime boundary following the ICJ judgment, while continuing to rely on a temporary oil dichotomy implementation map as though it were a maritime boundary instrument, constitutes a major governance, sovereignty and national security risk.

“Continued reliance on the 2008 NBC temporary oil dichotomy implementation map has effectively resulted in the ceding of approximately 780 hectares of maritime body of water within the Cross River Estuary extending toward the mouth of the Akwayefe River Estuary to Cameroon, as revealed by the Technical Mapping Exercise and the Inter-Agency Committee Report of 2025.

The coalition disagreed with the decision of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to refer the Inter-Agency Committee findings regarding the 780 hectares of maritime waters to the National Boundary Commission and the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation.

“The failure of the National Boundary Commission (NBC), the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), and the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation (OSGOF) to urgently brief the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the findings of the 2025 Inter-Agency Committee Report undermines Nigeria’s capacity to recover the 780 hectares of maritime waters within the Cross River Estuary.

This, it said,  has prevented Nigeria from exploring 49 identified transboundary and reservoir continuity oil wells located within OML 114 in the Cross River Estuary, and from negotiating continental shelf cooperation or reservoir unitization agreements with Cameroon,

“The alleged collaboration between NBC, RMAFC and OSGOF resulting in the unilateral approval of over ₦33 billion from the Federation Account to Akwa Ibom State as sole beneficiary of the Ekanga and Zafiro transboundary reservoir wells with Equatorial Guinea, without clear presidential authorization, raises serious financial, legal and constitutional accountability concerns.”

In view of the foregoing and related issues, the coalition recommends that President Tinubu establish a Presidential Special Investigation Panel to examine the circumstances surrounding the loss of approximately 780 hectares of Nigerian maritime waters within the Cross River Estuary.

It further recommends immediate forensic audit of all revenues and derivation payments relating to the Ekanga and Zafiro transboundary oil fields.

It equally recommends:  “Investigation into the alleged unilateral approval of N33 billion in payments from the Federation Account without Presidential authorization.

“Urgent diplomatic engagement with Cameroon for the negotiation of transboundary reservoir development agreements for the 49 identified reservoir continuity wells within

OML 114.

“Restoration and recognition of Cross River State’s littoral status based on the geographic and legal status of the Cross River Estuary as Nigeria’s natural maritime gateway to the Atlantic Ocean.

“A comprehensive national maritime boundary and offshore resource governance review involving all relevant institutions.”