SAN FRANCISCO, January 26, (THEWILL) – Ijaw elders in Delta State have declared that they cannot surrender the former militant commander, Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo, to security agencies because they neither have the power to do so nor know the whereabouts of the wanted Tompolo.
They spoke in response to Federal Government’s demand on Ijaw communities to hand over to security agencies suspects involved in the bombing alleged to be hiding in their areas, as well as to an earlier threat by the Joint Task Force, JTF, to hold community leaders responsible for further acts of pipeline vandalism in their communities.
But the elders insist that they do not have any information that Tompolo was involved in the three-day bombing of crude oil and gas pipelines in the state.
Chairman of Ijaw (Izon) Okosu –Otu (Ijaw Council of Elders) in Delta State, Chief Bare Etolor, said, “It is unfair for the Federal Government to ask Ijaw communities to handover suspects that carried out the bombing because we do not know them. In addition, I do not see how anybody expects us to handover Tompolo to security agencies because we do not have the power to do that, except they want to humiliate us.”
Re-echoing Etolor’s position, an Ijaw leader in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Chief Godspower Gbenekame stressed that it was impossible for them to handover Tompolo to the government.
Meanwhile, the Niger Delta Security Watch Organisation of Nigeria, NSWON as well as the Ijaw People’s Development Initiative, IPDI, have maintained that the people of Niger Delta and the ljaw in particular are not at war with the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, but declared that the ethnic group will never sacrifice their bravest to satisfy the quest for neo-colonialism.
Stressing that they will stand with Tompolo when it gets to that stage, the groups in a joint statement issued yesterday by their leaders, Dickson Bekederemo and Austin Ozobo said, “We believe that what the Federal Government wants to do is a repeat of what the Russians did to Poland during World War II, kill the bravest of their braves, the rest is history. We wish to inform President Buhari that in the hearts and minds of every Niger Deltan lies an embryonic Tompolo waiting to hatch.
“We call on President Buhari not to be deceived by a few pipelines surveillance contract seekers. There was Judea, yet Christ resurrected from the dead. There were traitors, yet Allah protected Prophet Mohammed in the cave with a cob web when people led his enemies to capture him.
“It may interest you to know that Tompolo is a strong member of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, even in defeat. Unlike some elements of the party from our region that are bread and butter members. Tompolo alleged that the APC- led government persuaded him to decamp to its fold. The party until date, did not refute his assertion.
“Suddenly, the EFCC froze the bank account of Global West Vessels Limited. The management of the company initiated an action against EFCC in court. The agency bluntly refused to file a defence, only for the agency to file charges against him in another Federal High Court.
“The question we will like to ask is: Is Tompolo the chief executive or the Managing Director of Global West Vessels Limited? Assuming, for the purpose of argument, that Global Vessels Limited committed financial crime, is Tompolo the alter ego of the company? The EFCC invitation and subsequent harassment and persecution of Tompolo goes beyond what meets the eye.”
