Nationality Nigerian Role Guerrilla Name Government Ekpemupolo | Religion Christianity Years active 1993-present | |
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Born 12th April 1971 Warri, Nigeria Occupation MEND commander
Businessman | ||
Government Ekpemupolo ("Tompolo")(born 1971) is a Nigerian militant commander of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta.
Contents
For years Ekpemupolo was a commander in various guerrilla groups in the Niger Delta which were all agitating against the insensitivity of the Federal Government and the international oil companies towards to exploitation and degradation of the Niger Delta. Ekpemupolo's wealth, derived mainly from oil bunkering, played a major role in founding both MEND and also his own fighters.
Ekpemupolo embraced amnesty on October 4th 2009, in order to allow for peace in the area, and for the government and oil companies to carry out development projects, and provide jobs and training.
Early life
Government Ekpemupolo was born in 1971 to a royal family Okerenoko in the traditional Gbaramatu Kingdom in Delta State. Ekpemupolo had his basic education at Okepopo Primary School in Warri. His early life was just like that of any regular growing boy until he began to notice the unethical marginalisation of his people from the benefits accruing from the production of oil which was drilled from his own community.
Activism and militancy
In 1993, Ekpemupolo dropped out of college and joined a resistance group in the Niger Delta. In 1998, Ekpemupolo joined the newly formed Ijaw Youth Council and became a well respected member. Since there was very little progress in the Ijaw Youth Council Ekpemupolo joined the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta. Ekpemupolo's invitation to Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, leader of the Niger Delta People's Volunteer Force (NDPVF) to take refuge in Delta state in 2005 helped precipitate the formation of MEND soon afterwards. Ekpemupolo quickly rose to a high commander in MEND and with his vast wealth he was able to supply MEND with large amounts of weapons and new equipment. Ekpemupolo was in command of thousands of militants and was very successful in attacking the insensitivity of the government and the Multinational oil companies to the exploitation and degradation of the peoples and environments of the Niger Delta.
Amnesty
During his time as a guerrilla commander, he, under the auspices of MEND was able to drive the Nigerian government to grant amnesty to MEND members who decided to surrender. Ekpemupolo was granted full amnesty as well as all of his men when he embraced the amnesty offer on the Federal Government of Nigeria under president Umaru Musa Yar'Adua on June 27, 2009.
Arrest warrant
In January 2016 an arrest warrant for him was issued on trumped up charges of theft and money laundering.