RMAFC denies oil wells ceding claim

The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has denied reports that some oil wells have been recommended to be handed over to certain states.

The Commission said no such decision has been taken and that the report currently circulating in parts of the media is misleading.

The Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Mohammed Bello Shehu, made this known in a statement issued on Sunday.

He said the attention of the Commission was drawn to a purported report allegedly issued by the Inter-Agency Committee on the Verification of Coordinates of Disputed Crude Oil and Gas Wells between States.

The report claimed that recommendations had been made to cede certain oil wells to specific states.

Dr. Shehu said: “The purported report is misleading, premature, and does not represent the position or conclusions of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission.”

He explained that at this stage, no final recommendation or decision has been made on the ceding or reallocation of any oil wells, as the required institutional processes are still ongoing.

Shehu added that the Commission follows a clearly defined and transparent procedure when handling matters of national importance such as the verification of disputed oil and gas well coordinates.

The RMAFC Chairman disclosed that the Commission only recently received a draft report from the Inter-Agency Committee on Friday, February 13, 2026. In line with established procedures, he said the draft was forwarded to key technical and statutory stakeholders for detailed review and input.

The agencies involved in this review include the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the National Boundary Commission, and the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation.

Dr. Shehu said these agencies are expected to carefully examine the draft report and submit their technical observations and recommendations before the Commission moves to the next stage.

After receiving their feedback, the matter will be reviewed internally by the Commission’s tripartite committees, including the Committee on Crude Oil, Gas and Investment and the Legal Matters Committee.

According to him, these committees will carry out thorough technical and legal reviews and then present their findings to the Plenary Session of the Commission for discussion and final recommendations.

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 “Upon completion of these institutional processes, the Commission’s final report will be formally transmitted to the President and the Attorney-General of the Federation for necessary consideration and further action in accordance with applicable laws and constitutional provisions,” he said.

Dr. Shehu warned that the report currently circulating in the media could mislead the public and create confusion.

 “In view of the clearly established procedures, the Commission considers the report currently circulating in the media as speculative, inaccurate, and capable of misleading the public,” he said.

He urged members of the public, stakeholders and media organisations to disregard the alleged report and wait for official communication from the Commission after the statutory review process has been completed.

Shehu noted that the Commission remains committed to transparency, due process and fairness in carrying out its constitutional responsibilities in the national interest.