What did you know about the Okuama Massacre? Here is the real story.
Over a decade of peace in the Niger Delta, the state is about to be shattered as Tompolo and Tantita Security struggle to retain the pipeline surveillance contract for themselves against Tinubu’s directive to decentralize the contract to the various states.
Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo, has been using soldiers as escorts to guard and shield his vessels used to steal crude from the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The 16 Soldiers killed recently in Okuama community, were all members of the escort team used by Tompolo to escort vessels with stolen crude oil from the Niger Delta. He also uses them to threaten communities and leaders in the region who oppose him, according to new findings.
This is also coming against allegations that Tompolo allegedly has prison cells in Oporoza, Gbaramatu Kingdom, Delta state where over 200 youths are locked up in small cells and used as slave labour while Army officers provide security.
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However, coming from the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, to the President to top Military brass, Tompolo has allegedly paid them millions of Dollars to give him cover in his Oil bunkering activities in the region. This is despite a $50milion monthly contract payment to Tantita Security, owned by same Tompolo.
The slain soldiers were part of a team that escorts stolen crude in vessels, offshore to avoid arrest by the Navy who previously arrested multiple Tompolo’s Tantita personnel for engaging in crude oil theft.
To corroborate the illegal activities of Tompolo and the Nigerian Army, on January 8, 2024, after a vessel MT KALI and 13 crew members (while on sea trial from Lagos to Port Harcourt) from a major repairs on the vessel, were arrested by the men of the Tantita Security Services (TSS) on suspicion of their involvement in dealing on petroleum product without license, the Chief of Defense Staff, General Christopher Musa, has continued to frustrate the case in Court.
on January 22, 2024, a defense lawyer for MT Kali secured a court order of the Federal High Court, sitting in Warri, Delta State, via a Suit No. FHC/WR/CS/5/2024 directing the Defense Intelligence Agency, DIA, to allow David Adeboye (the captain of the vessel) and the 12 crew members unhindered access to their lawyer in preparation for their defense.
The Nigerian Police was mandated to carry out an in-depth investigation into the matter, after which the police filed a charge in the Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja in Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/18/2024.
When the charge come up in the court on February 12 and 26, 2024, the Police were unable to produce the defendants for their plea, citing the refusal of the Defense Intelligence Agency, DIA, to transfer the defendants to the police for arraignment, despite letters written to the Chief of Defense Staff, Gen. Musa by the Inspector General of Police.
Nevertheless, to consolidate his grip, Tompolo recently recommended his lacky, one Dennis Otuaro, who was recently appointed as the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Program, PAP. Otuaro is the younger brother of Kingsley Otuaro, who served as Deputy Governor of Delta State under Ifeanyi Okowa. He was imposed on Okowa by Tompolo in 2015 in exchange for political support.
The Amnesty Programme was initiated and signed into law in 2009 to stem youth restiveness, agitation, and destruction of oil-processing infrastructure in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta region.
Tompolo sees the PAP office as an organ he uses to control all the Militants in the Niger Delta region and make them loyal to him. The PAP Program is under the office of the NSA.
Tompolo is enjoying the support of the Chief of Defense Staff, Gen. Musa and the NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, despite the opposition from the Nigerian Navy which has been heavily opposed to the engagement of the Niger Delta Militant leader.
