The Supreme Court Friday ceded the ownership of 17 disputed oil rich wells to Rivers State.
The apex court in a judgment prepared by Justice Helen Ogunwumiju but delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, dismissed the counter claim ownership by the Imo State Government.
The oil wells located on the territories of both states have been a subject of litigation at the apex court which served as a court of first instance with seven Justices in the panel.
According to Justice Agim, reliefs 1, 3 4 5 and 6 sought by Rivers State Government were granted by the Court.
The Court, however, refused to grant reliefs 2, 7 and 10.
Among the reliefs granted by the apex Court in favour of Rivers are that the boundary between Rivers and Imo as delineated in Nigeria administrative map 10th edition, 11th, 12th edition and other maps bearing similar delineation are inaccurate, incorrect, and do not represent the legitimate and lawful boundaries between Rivers and Imo states.
The Supreme Court agreed with Rivers that the correct instruments, map and documents to be relied upon in the determining the boundary between Rivers and Imo states are those used by Rivers in delineating the boundary line between the two states including Decree No. 14 of 1967, Decree No. 12 of 1976, the White papers/conclusion of the Federal Military government on the Irikefe and the Nasir Boundary Commission/Boundary Adjustment Commission, the Eastern Nigeria map, the Provincial map of Owerri province, Warri Province, Onitsha Province, Rivers Province, the Ahoada District map and Aboh Division map.
