Niger Delta: Tompolo roars again

Former leader of the Niger Delta agitators, Government Ekpemupolo a.k.a Tompolo, yesterday, protested the continued sealing of Mieka Dive Limited and his jetty in Warri, Delta State, in spite of the dismissal of a suit against him by the court.

Recall that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) instituted a case against him and his firm, which the courts dismissed on July 15, 2020.

Consequently, there was tension in the Edjeba Area of Warri where the firm is located, as hundreds of former workers of Mieka Dive Limited, who lost their jobs since its closure, besieged the entrance to the firm protesting against its continued closure.

In a statement issued by Tompolo, he said: “On July 15, 2020, the law vindicated me and the Federal High Court dismissed all charges against me and that I have no case to answer. Since then, I have made several attempts to reach the government agencies particularly the EFCC to return my looted property, but my peaceful approach and efforts have so far been unsuccessful.

“Nigerians should note that over five months after the court quashed all charges of corruption leveled against me, the EFCC has refused to return my property unlawfully taken from me under those charges. Our protest today is to cry out against the injustice.”

Tompolo argued that EFCC had no legal grounds to continue to seize his property, saying the university they said he stole was about to graduate its first batch of students, but for the stoppage of their admission for two years, they would have graduated last year.

He said he reported ‘the massive’ looting at the jetty in Warri to the presidency three years ago, but that only a few junior ratings were court-martialed insisting that the looting was not carried out by only junior naval personnel.

He demanded the return of all his confiscated property and the jetty and payment of compensation for those that were looted, adding: “The irony of the situation is that the man who framed me for corruption is neck deep in corruption, but he is a free man. But those who joined to soil my name would answer to the ancestors.”

Supporting Tompolo’s assertions, Managing Director of Mieka Dive Limited, Pondi Kestin, confirmed that government agencies who sealed off the company looted the facility, saying its promoters would engage evaluators to quantify the items looted from the firm’s premises in Warri.