Former General Officer Commanding, GOC, Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger- Delta, MEND, Government Ekpumupolo, also known as Tompolo, on Thursday said, he would appear before the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, which issued a bench warrant for his arrest, January 14, but “at the appropriate time.”
The bench warrant followed an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, which had filed different charges against Tompolo, including diversion of N34 billion belonging to the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Agency, NIMASA to personal use and laundering of N22.6 billion.
Tompolo who spoke through his Media Adviser and Consultant, Mr. Paul Bebenimibo, said he would never commence war against the Federal Government having accepted amnesty in 2009, reiterating that he was not party to the recent three-day bombing of crude oil and gas pipelines in Delta state.
Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has filed fresh 22 charges bordering on stealing, money laundering and advanced fee fraud to the tune of N22,765,900,000.against ex-Niger Delta militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly called Tompolo, and 12 others.
The EFCC also listed 25 witnesses that will testify against Tompolo and his 12 co-suspects when the trial begins.
The charges were said to be filed eight days after Justice Ibrahim Buba had ordered for the arrest of Tompolo for failing to appear at the court on January 14, 2016 to take his plea on a separate 40 count charge of an alleged N34bn fraud filed earlier against him alongside nine others by the EFCC.
Notable among the witnesses are officials of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, and officials of the Bureau of Public Procurement, seven EFCC investigators, officials of the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development.
