Today some former militant leaders such as High Chief Government Ekpemupolo ‘Tompolo’ have won multimillion-dollar security contracts in the Delta...
Delta men High Chief Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo) used to live in guerrilla camps in the Delta’s creeks where led the rebels of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta...
After amnesty negotiations by the present government thousands of militants set aside their arms and Tompolo is now in the President’s kitchen cabinet...
The influence is growing of High Chief Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo) whose bunkering operations brought a small war to the Warri region (AC Vol 50 No 11)...
In support of Jonathan High Chief Government Ekpemupolo (‘Tompolo’) finds his power growing daily...
One source said Tompolo had backed the award of the Kurutie Land project to El Markem Ventures his preferred bidder; the former Minister for the Niger Delta Ufot Ekaette had initially awarded the contract to a rival company...
Chief Mike Johnny complains that Tompolo and his set get the most lucrative contracts in the Gbaramatu kingdom the heartland of the Ijaw the Delta’s largest minority group...
Ijaw elders opted to award the Bomadi Foreshore Protection contract to another favoured Tompolo company...
Kuku’s appointment was welcomed by High Chief Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo the most prominent MEND leader in the Delta in the absence of Henry Okah who is on trial in South Africa on arms-trafficking charges...
Attacking Tompolo’s base In May last year Gbaramatu town near Warri in neighbouring Bayelsa suffered an unprecedented military onslaught against the base of High Chief Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo)...
Tompolo a commander of the loose network called the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) was also selling arms internationally and helped local politicians and shipping companies to negotiate ransoms with kidnappers...
Gbaramatu was seen as the heartland of Ijaw nationalism and Tompolo was poised to install his own candidate as its Paramount Chief...
Tompolo officially part of the amnesty programme for former fighters pursues his business interests...
‘He cannot come to this camp to recruit anybody’ Sango Anthony formerly of Deadly Underdog Camp Delta State but now of Tompolo Camp told Nigeria’s Daily Trust on 6 December...
Another former fighter in Tompolo Camp Emmanuel Amazen backed the amnesty but wants the federal government to fulfil all its promises to communities that ‘are still in tatters’...
Togo who is one of Tompolo’s former lieutenants complains that the militant top dog is eating all the scraps thrown from the government’s table...
On 11 November Tompolo met Togo and other former comrades including Shoot-at-Sight Young Shall Grow and Egbema with Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan as an observer...
He completed his secondary education and during the Itsekiri/Ijaw war he fought under High Chief Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo) for the armed irredentists of the Federated Niger Delta Ijaw Communities...
When the Itsekiri-Ijaw war ended Togo left Tompolo and with one ‘Ati’ formed a gang of sea pirates and kidnappers preying on poor traders and fisherfolk along the western Delta’s waterways and creeks...
This carnage in his area angered Tompolo whose fighters tried several times to kill Ati...
In revenge Ati raided Oporozoa where Tompolo and his boys were camped killing more than a dozen of them before himself being killed while trying to get away...
Togo increased his piratical activities along the waterways despite Tompolo’s efforts...
These include High Chief Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo) Ateke Tom Prince Farah Ipalibo (Dagogo Farah) and Victor Ben Ebikabowei (Boyloaf)(AC Vol 51 No 21)...
Some militants are angry that some of the rebel old guard have done much better financially under the amnesty especially High Chief Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo)...
Only a few MEND leaders profit much from the amnesty – High Chief Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo) Prince Farah Ipalibo (‘Dagogo Farah’) and Victor Ben Ebikabowei (‘Boyloaf’ see Box)...