SAN FRANCISCO, January 28, (THEWILL) – Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has commenced moves to secure a ‘soft landing’ for wanted ex-militant commander, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, THEWILL can authoritatively report.
Credible sources with knowledge of the development disclosed that the move is part of the governor’s bid to douse the tension and distractions, which the manhunt for the fugitive has generated in the state.
The sources, who asked to remain anonymous, revealed that the governor and state government are embarking on the plan to manage the Tompolo debacle to avoid the backlash and unrest, which his arrest could cause the state, especially the oil-rich communities.
Tompolo is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on various charges including an alleged criminal diversion of N34 billion belonging to the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Agency, NIMASA as well as laundering N22.6 billion of the agency’s funds.
His deliberate refusal to appear in court caused a judge on January 14, 2016, to issue a warrant for his arrest. The EFCC had earlier frozen bank accounts of Mieka Divers Ltd and Global West Vessel Specialists Nigeria Ltd, the two companies involved in the alleged fraud which have links to the former militant commander.
Delta government sources told THEWILL that Okowa has been very worried and unsettled over Tompolo’s current fate and has drafted deputy governor, Kingsley Otuaro, a lawyer, who one of our sources said represented Tompolo in the alleged fraudulent transactions, to do everything possible to ensure that the current faceoff between the former militant commander and security agencies is resolved peacefully.
THEWILL recalls that Tompolo played a major role in the emergence of Okowa as the flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last governorship election in the state and also singlehandedly anointed Otuaro as his deputy. Tompolo is also believed to have contributed funds to prosecute their election as well as those of several candidates of the PDP in Delta, Bayelsa and Ondo States, possibly from the proceeds of the alleged fraud.
A source at the EFCC who preferred anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press told THEWILL they have received several appeals from Delta state to treat the Tompolo matter with utmost care because of the interests involved.
“Yes the deputy governor who is a blood cousin of Tompolo was deeply involved in the N13 billion fraudulent land deal. The commission has been able to unravel that Mr. Otuaro was the one who negotiated the N13 billion transaction with the then Goodluck Jonathan led federal government.
“EFCC has also been able to discover that before his nomination for the position of the state deputy governor, Mr. Otuaro was a solicitor to Tompolo and several of the documents relating to the fraudulent land transaction were signed by him as then counsel to Tompolo.
“The funds were paid to Tompolo after he presented an alleged fraudulent Certificate of Customary Right of Occupancy which Otuaro allegedly helped procure,” our source said.
A Delta State Government House official and top politician confirmed to THEWILL that Okowa sincerely wants this matter resolved because of the role Tompolo played in his electoral victory both at the PDP primary and general election.
“It is a known fact in Delta state that Governor Okowa wouldn’t have made it as current state governor if not for the huge influence Tompolo had over former President Jonathan because, as at that time so many forces were against Okowa’s emergence and one of the conditions given by Tompolo then before giving Okowa his backing was to have his cousin, Otuaro as his running mate and Okowa agreed in his desperate bid to outfox then Governor Uduaghan, who was opposed to his emergence”.
Attempts made to get comments from Governor Okowa and Deputy Governor Otuaro for this report were unsuccessful, as they did not respond to our phone calls.
However, a close associate of Mr. Okowa, who also preferred anonymity, said the governor’s interest in the Tompolo/FG faceoff was merely because of the office he occupies. “Okowa as state governor should naturally be interested in finding a peaceful resolution to the Tompolo/FG government debacle. That is his only interest in the matter. Whether Tompolo contributed funds to his campaign can be verified from the chairman of the finance committee of the campaign…” the associate said.
