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Supreme Court Declares Rivers Owners of 17 Disputed Oil Wells
Rivers State floored Imo State at the Supreme Court on Friday over the disputed 17 oil wells.
The court in its judgement also ended the political arrangement on the sharing of revenue from the oil wells.
The apex court ruled that the oil wells located in Ndoni and Egbema communities belong to Rivers in its verdict.
The Supreme Court, had February 2022 fixed May 6 for judgment in the legal battle between Rivers and Imo states over the ownership of 17 oil wells in their territories.
The apex court fixed the date after taking arguments from lawyers to the parties.
Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, who led a panel of justices of the apex court, fixed the date after the adoption of the final written addresses by the lawyers.
The plaintiff in the matter, represented by a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Joseph Daudu (SAN), while adopting his final address, asked the apex court to give judgment in favour of Rivers State on the grounds that historical evidence right from 1927 till date clearly indicated that the oil wells belongs to the state.
Daudu drew the attention of the Supreme Court to the boundary adjustment paper of 1976, where Ndoni and Egbema were confirmed to belong to Rivers State.
He disagreed with the Attorney-General of the Federation in his claim that adjudication in the suit ought not to have originated from the Supreme Court but a Federal High Court, because oral evidence ought to be taken from the people of the area.
Daudu said the Supreme Court had original jurisdiction and could conveniently use all available sufficient historical documents right from the colonial era to determine the real owners of the oil wells.
In his own arguments, counsel for Imo State, Chief Olusola Oke (SAN), asked the apex court to dismiss the suit on the grounds that it ought to have originated from the Federal High Court.
Oke claimed that because of the nature of the matter, oral evidence ought to be called from the people of the area to confirm where they actually belong.
According to him, Rivers State ought not to have started the suit from the Supreme Court and he prayed the court to dismiss it.
In the same vein, counsel for the AGF, Dr Remi Olatubora (SAN), aligned himself with the position of Imo State to the effect that proper procedure for such a suit was not adopted by Rivers State.
Although Olatubora claimed that the AGF was neutral in the matter, he, however, said scientific evidence must be considered along with open court hearing for the Supreme Court to make good findings.
Justice Ariwoola announced May 6, 2022 for judgment in the matter.
Rivers State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral (retd) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, has summoned suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Dr Ngozi Ordu, to appear before him at the Government House in Port Harcourt.
This was contained in a special announcement issued on Tuesday and signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Ibibia Lucky Worika.
Worika disclosed that the summons forms part of an official inquiry into appointments made during the Fubara administration over the past two years.
According to the statement, Fubara has been directed to present comprehensive documentation and records related to appointments made while in office.
This includes, among other things, the rationale and procedures that guided those decisions.
The full statement reads:
“RIVERS GOVERNMENT SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
“The Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral (Rtd.) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, CFR, has formally summoned the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, and his Deputy, Dr. Ngozi Ordu, to appear before him for an inquiry into the appointments made under their administration over the past two years.
“Sir Fubara is directed to present all relevant documents and records pertaining to appointments, including justifications and procedures followed during his tenure. The session will also serve as an opportunity for the suspended Governor to provide a clear and detailed explanation as to why he believes he should be reinstated to office.
“Both parties are expected to appear in person as follows:
Date: Friday, 18th April, 2025
Time: 10:00am Prompt
Venue: Conference Room, Rivers State Government House, Port Harcourt
Attendance is mandatory. This process forms part of the Sole Administrator’s ongoing efforts to restore transparency and accountability and lasting peace in the governance of Rivers State.
Signed:
Prof. Ibibia Lucky Worika
Secretary to the State Government”
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum has debunked speculations of the party planning to join any coalition or merger.
The resolution was made in a communiqué issued at the end of the Forum’s meeting held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Monday.
After the meeting which lasted about six hours behind closed doors, the Chairman of the Forum and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, who read the communiqué clarified that rather, the PDP remains open to welcoming individuals, parties, and groups committed to rescuing Nigeria and promoting good governance,
“The Forum resolved that the PDP will not join any coalition or merger. However, as a major opposition party, it welcomes any party, persons, or groups willing to join it with a view to wrestling power and enthroning good leadership in 2027,” the communiqué read in part.
On the recent Supreme Court judgment on the national secretary position, the Forum recommended that the deputy national secretary act in the position pending the nomination and ratification of a substantive Secretary from the South East geopolitical zone.
On the spate of insecurity in parts of the country, the Forum expressed concerns over the rising insecurity, particularly in Borno, Katsina, Edo, and Plateau States.
The group called for a review and re-organisation of the nation’s security architecture, advocating a bottom-up approach that empowers sub-national governments to play a more active role in safeguarding their territories.
The Forum also declared its solidarity with the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, amid the current political crisis in the State, and the declaration of a state of emergency by President Bola Tinubu.
The Forum announced plans to hold a national meeting on May 27, 2025, where a Zoning Committee would be constituted ahead of the party’s national convention scheduled for August 28 to 30, 2025, in Kano.
The communiqué also listed members of the Zoning and National Convention Committees, with Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State named Chairman of the Zoning Committee, and Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State heading the National Convention Committee.
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has debunked claims that the Rivers State Government paid for the rights to host the 2025 Annual General Conference (AGC), stating categorically that no such arrangement existed within the NBA’s planning framework.
In a statement issued by the Chairman of the 2025 AGC Planning Committee, Emeka Obegolu (SAN), the NBA clarified that the decision to hold the conference in Port Harcourt was made as far back as August 2024, and was not influenced by any bidding process or financial inducement.
“Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to the Administrator of Rivers State suggesting that the government paid hosting rights for the 2025 NBA AGC,” Obegolu stated.
“We wish to make it clear that the host city does not pay for any such rights. There was no representation by the NBA that hosting the conference was tied to financial commitments.”
According to the NBA, “while the Conference Planning Committee routinely seeks support from state governments, corporate bodies, and other organisations due to the enormous costs involved in staging the AGC, such support is purely voluntary and not linked to any hosting privileges.”
Obegolu noted that previous editions of the NBA AGC had also benefited from the support of public and private institutions as part of their corporate social responsibility initiatives.
“Support is often received as gifts, sponsorships, or partnerships – not as payment for hosting rights,” he said.
He said that Rivers State’s financial contribution fell squarely under this category.
“We remain focused on delivering a world-class conference for our members and will not be distracted by unnecessary controversies,” Obegolu stated.
The NBA’s AGC is one of the largest gatherings of legal professionals in Africa, and the 2025 edition is expected to draw thousands of participants from across Nigeria and beyond.
