Traditional rulers from the Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State have told the Federal Government not to annex territories in the state to the neighbouring Ogun State.

In a communiqué after their meeting in Igbokoda, the monarchs led by Oba Olusegun Akinyomi, the Amapetu of Mahin and Chairman of Ilaje Council of Obas; and Oba Olufemi Ogbaro, the Odoka of Obe-Ogbaro, who is the Secretary Ilaje Council of Obas, said they would not be part of any proposed Ijebu State and should not cede their land to any of the proposed state.

The royal fathers threw their weight behind the state government that stated that the Oke-AgorIsekun, where an abandoned oil well was discovered by the Nigerian Navy, belongs to Ondo State.

They asked the federal and state governments to protect their citizens living in the area following the reports of intimidation of Ilaje working and living in the boundary territories.

The group said Eba, including Eba Island, which hosts one of the Ondo State Forest Reserves acquired by the colonial administration as part of Ilaje District, is not on the boundary with Ogun.

The communiqué read: “Meeting was informed and took cognizance of agitations by different peoples and groups of Nigeria for creation of states with proposals to that effect submitted by members and published by concerned Committees of the National Assembly as reported in the media one of which is the proposed Ijebu State which published parts strangely feature names of Ilaje communities.”