Cross River seeks Tinubu’s action on disputed oil wells
By Seyi Odewale
The Cross River State Economic Intelligence Team (CREIT) has asked the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to immediately forward the report on disputed crude oil and gas well coordinates to President Bola Tinubu, warning against any attempt to alter or delay its scientific conclusions.
The team said the report of the Inter-Agency Technical Committee (IATC), which verified oil and gas well locations among oil-producing states, contains evidence-based findings with significant implications for revenue derivation, maritime security, and national resource governance.
CREIT insisted that the document must be treated as a matter of national importance and not downgraded administratively.
“The IATC Report is not a routine internal memo but a public document of national security relevance,” the team said, adding that its conclusions should be preserved in their original technical integrity.
The letter was signed by Rt. Hon. John Gaul Lebo and Barr. Abang Odok Ogar for the Cross River State Economic Intelligence Team at the IATC-2025 exercise.
The team said the committee’s scientific plotting of 239 crude oil and gas wellheads produced “clear, visible, and verifiable outcomes,” confirming the location of hydrocarbon deposits within Cross River State’s maritime territory.
It warned that any attempt to alter the findings could undermine Nigeria’s maritime boundary integrity and strategic interests.
“Any attempt to alter, dilute, or administratively manipulate the technical findings of the IATC poses grave national security risks,” CREIT stated.
The team also objected to alleged attempts by some federal agencies to influence the committee’s outcome after field verification had been completed, including moves to adopt what it described as an obsolete oil dichotomy map.
CREIT further expressed concern that a similar inter-agency verification exercise conducted in 2024, which reportedly attributed 67 oil wells to Cross River State, had yet to be transmitted to the President for consideration.
It urged the commission to forward both the 2024 and 2025 reports without delay, stressing that only the President has the constitutional authority to review and take action on the findings.
“The President is constitutionally positioned to receive, evaluate, and direct further actions on matters with profound national security and fiscal implications,” the team said.
CREIT maintained that its position was based on verified scientific evidence and national interest, adding that preserving the integrity of the report was critical to ensuring transparency, equity, and confidence in Nigeria’s oil revenue administration.
