The Man “Government Tompolo,” Who He Is And What He Represent

By Joy Chinecherem & Nnenna Joseph

Amidst the civil unrest spreading across Nigeria, the controversial messiah of the people/terrorist to the government, Government Tompolo was spotted some days ago after going underground for 6 years. A Lot of youngies are asking who Tompolo is and what are his activities?

Government Tompolo is a Nigerian militant commander of the Movement of the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND). He headed various guerilla units in Niger Delta.
He fought for the marginalization, health hazard, poverty, and death the people of Niger delta were facing in the late 90s and early 2000.

The Niger Delta region comprising of the following states Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers is the highest oil-producing region in Africa. Nigeria generates 65% of its revenue from these states. In the early 90s, these oil-producing states degenerated, becoming an area of environmental genocide. Petroleum exploration and production-related activities caused environmental pollution and posed potential risks to the inhabitants of Niger delta.

The major sources of environmental pollution in the Niger Delta region include oil spillage, pipeline explosion, gas flaring and venting, improper disposal of large volumes of petroleum-derived hazardous waste streams, such as drilling mud, oily and toxic sludge and so many others. The government despite making billions annually from these states have left them impoverished, exposed to life-threatening diseases and fatal death.

A coalition of armed rebel groups formed to fight for their right to welfare compensation by way of amenities and employments, this fell on deaf ears. To get the government’s attention they kidnapped oil workers and attacked installations between 2006 and 2009. The creeks of the Niger Delta were occupied by these rebels with machine-gun equipped speedboats and were dangerous for law enforcement and oil workers alike.
This was when Tompolo, the kingpin at the time, became a national horror.

Government Ekpemupolo was born into a royal family in Warri, Okerenkoko, the traditional Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South Local Government Area in Delta State. He joined the guerilla warfare when he noticed the unethical biases against his people from the government and oil companies exploiting his community.

Tompolo funded the guerilla forces with his money-making their missions successful, he was said to be a billionaire militant who amassed a lot of his wealth from oil bunkering and money laundering. His wealth placed him at the forefront of operations making him the default leader of the groups, he projected MEND at the front of the agitations for the people of Niger Delta. He came together to join forces with the notorious Mujahid Asari-Dokubo in 2005

He bought warships and high-grade ammunition, his first major operations were said to be the kidnapping of nine Willbros staff, an oil company based in Panama. He was very successful in attacking the insensitivity of the government and the oil companies destroying their environment, he had other militant groups under his umbrella.

The name Tompolo strikes fear in the mind of the government and international oil companies, he was a terror to those in power but seen as a messiah to his people. The people of Niger Delta loved him and even wore shirt boring inscriptions ‘Tompolo is our hero’. His activities gave him the power to negotiate with the government on the terms of the militants dropping their arms for amnesty and development for his people.

Read Also: Ex-Militant Leader, Tompolo Makes First Public Appearance In 6 Years (Video)

Tompolo embraced the amnesty offer with some of his boys on June 27, 2009. No one is sure about his net worth but for someone to own a private jet, you know his money runs into billions. Under the regime of his friend Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, he was awarded a contract worth over 15 billion naira through his company the Global West Vessel Specialist Limited (GWVSL) to supply 20 vessels to the Nigerian Navy to secure their waterways.

What does the appearance of Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, aka Tompolo mean in the midst of all these unrest? Does it bode well for Nigeria? These questions and more brew in the mind of Nigerians as his appearance is welcomed with mixed reactions.

See photos below