Group says Akwa Ibom loses 2,560 oil wells to Cameroon

The’ unlawful’ take-over of 2,560 oil wells and gas resources at Effiat Mbo Mangrove Islands in Mbo Local Government Area of Àkwa Ibom by Republic of Cameroon has led to a loss of huge revenue accruable to the State, an advocacy group, Open Forum has alleged.

Apart from annexing the islands, the Group has also accused Cameroon of taking over parts of Bakassi Peninsula, which Nigeria Government under the Olusegun Obasanjo’s Administration, formally handed over to Cameroon in August 2008, following the ruling by International Court of Justice (ICJ) at Hague, Netherlands.

According to the Group, the court used the Anglo-German Agreement of 1913 as a key document in its decision in ceding Bakassi Peninsula to the Republic of Cameroon.

The Group also disclosed that a recent report shown that there are 16 ancestral homes/villages in Effiat, Mbo Mangrove Islands.

Matthew Okono, Founder and President of Open Forum, an advocacy group, stated

“While defending the Akwa Ibom ownership of the resolved 76 oil wells, our sister State, Cross River was trying to take back through political solution, we drew the attention of His Excellency, Gov Umo Eno to the vast Oil Wells and Gas Resources, estimated at over 2,560 wells at Effiat Mbo Mangrove Islands, Mbo LGA illegally annexed along with Bakassi Peninsula by Republic of Cameroon.”

Okono, who disclosed this during a public presentation to the Speaker, Akwa Ibom House of Assembly in Uyo on a position paper entitled: Agenda Setting for an Akwa Ibom without oil, said, “Imagine the amount of resources that will accrue to the State if the government responds to sensitive information made available to them so they can act alongside other authorities to get required results.

“The matter is currently at the National Assembly. AKSG needs to be fully involved to avoid future controversies.”

If not for the circumstances, the resources would have raised the economic status of Àkwa Ibom as the largest producers of oil in Nigeria, thereby attracting humongous monthly revenue to the state’s purse.

Already, Akwa Ibom Government has budgeted N5 billion for Excess Crude Oil for 2025 financial year, showing that N416.7 million is being expected from Federation Account monthly.

Recall, the Senate had, on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, constituted an eight-member Ad hoc Committee to investigate the allegations that the Republic of Cameroon had forcefully taken over Nigerian Mangrove Islands and maritime territories in Effiat in Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

Akpabio, announced the Committee’s composition during the plenary after most senators supported it through voice votes.

He said the Committee would be chaired by Jimoh Ibrahim, the senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District.

Other members of the are Adeniyi Adegbonmire (APC, Ondo Central), Seriake Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa West), Kaka Lawan (APC, Borno Central), Banigo Ipalibo (PDP, Rivers West), Agom Jarigbe (PDP, Cross River North), Ekong Sampson (PDP, then, now, APC, Akwa Ibom South) and Aniekan Bassey (PDP then, now APC, Akwa Ibom North-East).

The Senate president directed the Committee members to report to the Senate within two months with recommendations on how to address the issue.

The need to probe the forceful takeover of Nigerian mangrove islands followed a motion sponsored by Mr Bassey during the plenary.

The senator, while presenting his motion, said the Cameroonian Government had encroached on Nigeria’s islands in Akwa Ibom despite the fact that the affected islands were not part of the territories ceded to Cameroon under the 1913 Anglo-German treaties or the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling of October 2002.

Bassey decried that the encroachment had significantly crashed the state’s economy, particularly in the oil and gas sector.

“It is a monumental national embarrassment that foreign laws are being imposed by the Cameroonian Gendarmes on Nigerians living in the 16 ancestral villages in these areas. This encroachment is illegal and has resulted in a significant economic loss, particularly in oil and gas revenues.

“It should be noted that the islands in focus were not part of the territories ceded to the Government of Cameroun by the 1913 Anglo-German treaties and the International Court of Justice’s decision of October 2002.

“As such, the encroachment into these territories is not only illegal but has led to a huge economic loss of more than 2,560 oil wells and gas revenues, which ought to accrue to Nigeria,” he said.