FORMER Niger Delta militant leader Government Ekpemupolo popularly known as Tompolo has been officially declared a wanted man by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) following his refusal to visit their offices for questioning. 

Highly influential during the era of former president Dr Goodluck Jonathan, Tompolo was invited by the EFCC to visit their offices in December to answer charges relating to supply contracts he was given. Tompolo, has however, shunned the EFCC invitation, prompting an Abuja magistrates court to issue a warrant for his arrest. 

Earlier this week, a Federal High Court in Lagos issued a fresh order for his arrest after he rebuffed further requests to submit himself to the EFCC for questioning. In response, the EFCC has taken out newspaper advertorials signed by its head of media and publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, calling for anyone who knows of his whereabouts to contact the police. 

Tompolo, who has been charged with participating in fraud to the tune of N45.9bn (£158m), had his address given as No. 1, Chief Agbanu Street, DDPA Extension, Warri, Delta State. In the advertorial, the EFCC said he speaks both Izon and English languages and described him as a 47-year-old, dark-complexioned man from Okerenkoko, Gbaramotu Kingdom in the Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State. 

M Uwujaren announcement read: “The general public is hereby notified that Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo), whose photograph appears above, is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in relation to the offence of conspiracy and illegal diversion of the sum of N34,000,000,000.00 and N11,900,000,000.00 belonging to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency.” 

Justice Ibrahim Buba of a Federal High Court in Lagos had issued a bench warrant against Tompolo on January 14 after he shunned a summons dated January 12, 2016 to appear in connection with the fraud charges filed against him and nine others by EFCC. Justice Buba had ordered the law enforcement agencies to produce Tompolo before him on February 8 for him to answer the charges but rather than appear in court, Tompolo brought an application seeking to quash the bench warrant and arrest order. 

However, the judge, who dismissed the application for lacking in merit, renewed the arrest warrant and directed all law enforcement agencies to produce Tompolo before him on February 19. Tompolo’s lawyer, Tayo Oyetibo, after failing to get the bench warrant vacated, turn down the responsibility of undertaking to produce his client in court.

 According to Mr Oyetibo, it was the responsibility of the prosecution to produce the suspect in court.  The EFCC has filed 40 counts against Tompolo and nine others, including the immediate-past director-general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Patrick Akpobolokemi.