Tompolo Flees Nigeria, As DELTA'S Deputy Governor Denies  Him

There were indications on Fri­day that wanted former mili­tant leader and founder of the defunct Movement for the Emanci­pation of the Niger Delta (MEND), High Chief Government Ekpemuk­polo, popularly known as Tompolo, may have fled the country in a bid to escape possible arrest by operatives of Nigerian security agencies.

This is even as the Deputy Gov­ernor of Delta State, Barrister Kings­ley Burutu Otuaro, has denied he was providing cover for the wanted ex-mil­itant leader.

Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Fed­eral High Court, Lagos had ordered the arrest of the ex-militant leader for his failure to appear before him to an­swer to a 40-count charge on an al­leged N45.9bn fraud leveled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The EFCC had charged Tompo­lo and a former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administra­tion and Safety Agency, Patrick Ak­pobolokemi, alongside eight others with N45.9bn fraud.

It was gathered that Tompolo had decided to leave the country to evade arrest and possible humiliation until his lawyers and the federal government found a common ground on the issue.

Some close allies of the embattled Ijaw chief who were contacted by this reporter claimed they had not heard from the Ex-MEND leader for over five weeks.

Tompo­lo had refused to honour the warrant of arrest because some elements with­in the Federal Government were bend on disgracing him once he stepped out of hideout.

Another source who warned this reporter not to go to press disclosed that Tompolo had long ago fled to a nearby African country even before Justice Buba issued the warrant of ar­rest against him.

According to our source, “My friend (referring to this reporter), these security agencies are only wast­ing their time. Tompolo left this coun­try days before the Lagos High Court issued that he should be arrested. I’m telling you as a friend. Until this mat­ter is settled, he won’t return to the country. He’s within the continent. That’s all I can tell you.”

Attempts to probe further on the particular country the ex-militant leader was currently hiding proved abortive.

It was gathered further that some selected royal fathers in the region went as emissaries to intervene on behalf of the embattled former mili­tant kingpin.

Otuaro in a statement issued through his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Communication and Press, Mr. Bulou Kosin said; “The attention of the Deputy Governor, Barr. Kings­ley Burutu Otuaro, has been drawn to allegation that he is harbouring High Chief Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo for who a bench warrant of arrest has been issued by a Federal High Court in Lagos.”

He added, “The Deputy Governor denies harbouring Tompolo. The alle­gation is a figment of the imagination of detractors.

“On the allegation that he is com­plicit on the alleged N13billion fraud, the Deputy Governor, Barr. Otuaro, wishes to state that the matter is sub­judice as same is before a court of law. The media is therefore advised to await the outcome of the case rather than pre-empt it.”

Meanwhile, due to the failure of Government Ekpemupolo to appear in court yesterday, again, after the court gave orders for his arrest,

Jus­tice Buba Ibrahim of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi , Lagos granted the Eco­nomic and Financial Crimes Com­mission (EFCC) the power to seize all Tompolo’s property.

Tompolo was charged along with nine other persons including the for­mer Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Patrick Akpobokemi for al­legedly diverting and converting N34bn belonging to NIMASA.

At the resumed hearing, Festus Keyamo, Counsel to EFCC, informed the court that all efforts to get Tompo­lo arrested have proved abortive and consequently, the EFCC on Wednes­day filed a motion before the court seeking to freeze all Tompolo’s assets

Keyamo said” The accused person failed to appear again and we brought an application for the seizure of all his property as provided by law.

“If the accused person continues to abscond from court after a warrant of arrest has been issued, his property would be auctioned by the government.