Ijaw Group Drags FG, NASS To Court Over Resource Control
The Supreme Egbesu Assembly(SEA) has taken legal action against the Federal Government of Nigeria and the National Assembly of Nigeria over the creation of additional local government areas in Bayelsa State and the control of natural resources in the Niger Delta.
The group confirmed in a press statement dated April 21, 2026, that it filed the suit at the Federal High Court Yenagoa following the expiration of a 21-day ultimatum issued to the federal authorities, which it said was ignored.
The Assembly said the demand for the creation of 24 new local government areas in Bayelsa predates the state’s formation, describing the continued existence of only eight LGAs as unjustifiable, particularly for an oil-producing state.
It argued that Bayelsa currently operates 24 Rural Development Authorities that could be upgraded to full local government status, thereby enhancing access to federal allocations and driving development at the grassroots.
The group also used the court action to revive its long-standing agitation for resource control, insisting that oil-producing communities should have greater authority over their natural resources.
Advertisement
According to the Assembly, Nigeria’s earlier regional system allowed producing areas to manage their resources and remit agreed percentages to the central government, a model it believes should be reconsidered.
The Assembly called on Ijaw communities, Niger Delta stakeholders and other interest groups to support the legal process by attending court proceedings and backing the push for what it described as equity and economic justice.
The case has already come up for its first hearing in Yenagoa and is expected to test key constitutional provisions on local government creation and resource ownership in Nigeria’s federal system.