Tompolo awarded multi-million dollar contract protect oil pipelines

The President Muhammadu Buhari-led government has awarded Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, a multi-million pipeline surveillance contract.

Tompolo the Commander of the defunct Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND).

The government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited agreed to engage Tompolo to end illegal bunkering, illegal refining and oil theft in Niger-Delta communities.

A source close to Tompolo told The Nation that the current deal is worth over N4billion monthly.

“Before the cancellation of his contract, the arrangements he put in place tackled illegal bunkering and increased production quota to over two million barrels per day.

“But the new government cancelled the contract, declared him wanted and he was later exonerated of all wrongdoings.

“They have realised the need to bring him back because currently, the country is losing over 500,000 barrels per day to illegal bunkering”, he said.