Tension is rising in Ogun State’s coastal belt as two neighbouring communities, Ode-Omi and Makun-Omi, both in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area, have laid rival claims to Eba Island, a coastal settlement reportedly approved by the Federal Government for commercial crude oil exploration.
The dispute follows the Ogun State Government’s announcement of federal approval for oil drilling in the coastal area, an initiative aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to expand Nigeria’s oil production frontier. What initially sparked excitement has now deepened into a complex custodianship battle involving traditional institutions within Ogun and even extending to neighbouring Ondo State.
In a letter dated January 28, 2026, addressed to Governor Dapo Abiodun, the Ode-Omi Kingdom formally protested claims by the monarch of Makun-Omi, Oba Kazeem Salami, warning that unresolved ownership disputes could trigger communal unrest. The letter, signed by the Balogun of Ode-Omi Kingdom, Prince Shittu Adeyemi, insisted that Eba Island has historically belonged to the Lenuwa ruling houses of Ode-Omi, particularly the Ojafoyewa and Ojagbuwa royal families.
Adeyemi argued that historical records and settlement patterns show that inhabitants of Eba villages trace their ancestry to Ode-Omi, adding that past Baales of Makun-Omi traditionally acknowledged the authority of the Lenuwa of Ode-Omi. He described Makun-Omi’s claim as a recent development that only emerged after the commercial viability of oil in the area became public.
While reaffirming support for oil exploration, Ode-Omi called on both the Ogun State and Federal Governments to intervene and set up an impartial investigation involving relevant agencies and the Ogun State Council of Traditional Rulers to verify historical and customary records.
Makun-Omi, however, has maintained that Eba Island falls within its traditional territory, with its monarch earlier welcoming the oil project as a major economic breakthrough for coastal communities.
Complicating matters further, the Molokun of Atijere Kingdom in Ondo State, Oba Samuel Adeoye, has also claimed Eba Island, insisting it lies within Ondo territory. The Ogun State Government has dismissed this, maintaining that Eba Island is firmly within Ogun Waterside Local Government Area.
As crude oil enters the equation, unresolved boundary and ownership disputes now threaten peace, community relations, and the timely commencement of exploration activities in the area.
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