Court appearance: Tompolo still on the run

• The Nigerian police force has deployed officers to arrest the former Niger Delta militant leader Tompolo
• Justice Ibrahim Buba orders security agencies to provide the former Niger Delta militant by February 19
• The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is accusing Tompolo of corruption

The Nigerian police force have deployed officers in Bayelsa state to arrest the former Niger Delta militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo.

According to The Punch, Solomon Arase, the inspector general of police, had ordered the Bayelsa state police command to carry out Tompolo’s arrest in compliance with the order of the Federal High Court, Lagos.

Bisi Kolawole, the public relations officer, confirmed that the IG had directed officers to apprehend Tompolo, who has also been declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court had ordered the arrest of the former militant leader for his failure to appear before him to answer 40 counts on an alleged N45.9bn fraud.

ALSO SEE: N45.9bn Fraud: EFCC declares Tompolo wanted

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

The police spokesperson stated that the force would do everything possible to arrest Tompolo in compliance with the bench warrant issued by the court.

Meanwhile, with four days to the February 19 date given by the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos to the nation’s security agencies to produce the former militant leader, there is no clue as to his whereabouts, Vanguard reports.

His Ijaw relatives also are not ready to give up the former militant leader, who the people of Gbaramatu-Ijaw in Warri South-West local government area of Delta state regard in very high esteem.

A royal father, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “No Gbaramatu man will reveal the hideout of Tompolo to any security man even if he knows, unless that person does not have a true Ijaw blood flowing in him.”