“Boyloaf, Not Tompolo, Drove MEND’s Oil War” — Explosive New Account Reignites Niger Delta History Battle

By Passman Akpos

A fresh account of the Niger Delta armed struggle has sought to challenge what its author describes as attempts to diminish the role of former militant leader Chief Victor-Ben Ebikabowei, popularly known as Gen. Boyloaf, in the emergence and operations of the defunct Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND).

In Part One of his account, Jude Gbaboyor argues that Boyloaf played a central strategic role in transforming what initially threatened to become a politically targeted confrontation into a broader campaign against Nigeria’s oil infrastructure.

Gbaboyor’s narrative, however, contains numerous historical and operational claims that would require independent verification.

According to him, MEND emerged against the backdrop of the impeachment of former Bayelsa State Governor, the late Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha. He said Boyloaf and his associates believed the impeachment was politically motivated and linked to the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Gbaboyor claimed that Henry Okah had initially contemplated attacks against members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly but that Boyloaf opposed targeting fellow Niger Deltans over a political dispute.

Instead, he alleged, Boyloaf proposed what he described as an “Oil War”—a campaign focused on disrupting the national oil production system.

The Warri Meeting

Gbaboyor said a meeting subsequently held in Warri brought together Henry Okah, Boyloaf, Farah Dagogo, Olo Albert, also known as “The Governor,” and Tompolo.

He claimed Boyloaf proposed concentrating attacks on crude oil trunk lines and other strategic petroleum infrastructure rather than politicians.

According to the account, Boyloaf’s knowledge of the creeks and waterways made him central to the planning and navigation of the early operations, while Tompolo agreed to deploy fighters to Rivers State.

Rivers State: The First Major Strikes

Gbaboyor said the first major operation took place in Rivers State, where fighters allegedly targeted crude oil pipelines serving the Andoni, Ogoni and Bonny areas.

He claimed the operation was designed to demonstrate MEND’s capacity to inflict significant disruption on Nigeria’s oil industry before fighters subsequently regrouped in Delta State.

The account further alleges that Tompolo’s men later joined Boyloaf’s fighters and that the operation helped establish MEND as a major armed force in the Niger Delta.

EA Sea Eagle Operation

According to Gbaboyor, Boyloaf subsequently planned an operation against the EA Sea Eagle offshore terminal in Bayelsa State.

He said the strike force travelled from Camp 5 through Ogulagha into the open sea, where the operation allegedly resulted in the capture of foreign expatriates.

Gbaboyor said the fighters returned to Camp 5 before MEND publicly claimed responsibility for the Rivers State attacks and the offshore operation.

He identified Boyloaf’s alleged operational codename as General Brutus Ebipade.

The account also portrays Tompolo as playing a different role from Boyloaf, claiming that while Boyloaf concentrated on tactical planning and operations, Tompolo remained largely at his shrine providing spiritual support to fighters.

Beniseide and Escalation

Gbaboyor further alleged that Boyloaf planned a subsequent attack on military positions at Beniseide, timing it around Armed Forces Remembrance Day.

According to the narrative, fighters seized weapons and ammunition before encountering Nigerian military reinforcements while returning to base.

Gbaboyor claimed that while some fighters withdrew, Boyloaf ordered Bayelsa and Rivers State fighters to turn back and confront the advancing troops.

As attacks continued to affect oil production, the Federal Government was reportedly pushed toward negotiations over the release of captive expatriates.

Gbaboyor said MEND demanded the release of Alamieyeseigha and Asari Dokubo as conditions for further negotiations.

Camp 5 and the Beginning of Internal Fractures

The account identifies Camp 5 in Gbaramatu as a major operational centre during the period.

Gbaboyor alleged that when the government sought to engage the militants, divisions emerged over who represented the movement and how negotiations should proceed.

He claimed Boyloaf became dissatisfied after some representatives allegedly entered negotiations with oil companies and government officials over hostages without securing the release of the individuals MEND had demanded.

According to him, the disagreement eventually contributed to Boyloaf and his core group leaving Camp 5 and pursuing separate operations.

The Hunt for Henry Okah

Gbaboyor also makes a serious allegation concerning the subsequent pursuit of Henry Okah.

He claimed intelligence was supplied to government authorities concerning Okah’s alleged arms procurement activities and his relationship with Boyloaf’s faction.

According to the account, security forces allegedly planned to arrest Okah during his father’s funeral in Amassoma, Bayelsa State.

Gbaboyor claimed Boyloaf and Farah Dagogo responded by organising an armed escort for Okah, forcing security personnel to abandon the operation for fear of a bloody confrontation.

These claims are presented in Gbaboyor’s account and are not independently established in the material provided.

AGIP Operation and the Hostage Crisis

Gbaboyor further alleged that Boyloaf’s faction later attacked an AGIP facility, resulting in the capture of foreign oil executives.

He said the operation was intended to demonstrate that no single individual controlled the Niger Delta armed struggle.

According to the narrative, the incident intensified pressure on the Federal Government and international oil companies.

Boyloaf Moves His Base to Bayelsa

The account states that Boyloaf subsequently moved his principal operational base to Bayelsa State with the assistance of Henry Okah.

Gbaboyor claimed that the relocation involved 16 gunboats and allowed Boyloaf’s faction to coordinate further operations across the region.

Oloibiri Offshore Operation

Operating from Bayelsa, Gbaboyor said Boyloaf’s fighters carried out another offshore operation around the Oloibiri area, allegedly taking foreign expatriates hostage.

He claimed the hostages became bargaining leverage in negotiations that ultimately contributed to the release of Alamieyeseigha, Asari Dokubo and Boyloaf himself.

According to the account, the hostages were later handed over to former Bayelsa Governor Timipre Sylva.

Gbaboyor said MEND subsequently intensified attacks on oil pipelines across Bayelsa, Rivers and Delta states.

The Bakassi Operation

One of the most dramatic episodes in Gbaboyor’s narrative concerns the Bakassi Peninsula.

He claimed Boyloaf planned a cross-border operation following Nigeria’s decision to transfer the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon.

According to the account, fighters from different MEND formations participated in the operation, with a strike team travelling in seven gunboats.

Gbaboyor alleged that the fighters encountered a Nigerian Joint Task Force position while attempting to reach the open sea.

He claimed the militants subsequently reached the Bakassi area, disarmed three Cameroonian military positions and seized weapons and ammunition before returning without fatalities.

Two fighters, he said, sustained gunshot injuries.

Again, these operational details are allegations contained in Gbaboyor’s account and should be independently corroborated before being treated as established historical fact.

The Tompolo-Boyloaf Encounter

Gbaboyor said the success of the Bakassi operation subsequently prompted a visit from Tompolo’s commander, the late Ebikoro of Ogbe-Ijoh.

According to him, the visit was intended partly to establish the scale of Boyloaf’s military capability.

Gbaboyor, who described himself as General Secretary of the “Highest Barrack,” said he received Ebikoro and escorted him to Boyloaf.

He claimed Boyloaf subsequently instructed him to provide ammunition as a gesture of goodwill.

Bonga: Taking the Fight Offshore

Following the arrest of Henry Okah in Angola, Gbaboyor said Boyloaf directed another major offshore operation—this time against the Bonga oil field, located deep offshore.

He claimed MEND fighters used rocket-propelled weapons against the facility.

According to Gbaboyor, the attack shocked the Federal Government because of the distance of the facility from the coastline and demonstrated that militant groups possessed greater offshore reach than previously believed.

He argues that the Bonga operation helped convince the Federal Government that a military solution alone could not end the Niger Delta crisis.

From Armed Conflict to Amnesty

As oil production suffered disruptions and armed confrontation intensified, the administration of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua eventually pursued a negotiated settlement with Niger Delta militants.

Gbaboyor said Boyloaf insisted that any settlement should include the release of Henry Okah and detained fighters, as well as commitments to youth empowerment, education and development in the Niger Delta.

The process eventually culminated in the Presidential Amnesty Programme, under which militants were offered amnesty in exchange for surrendering their weapons and participating in a reintegration process.

Oporoza and the Collapse of a Military Plan

Gbaboyor’s account also presents a controversial explanation for the military invasion of Oporoza.

He alleged that Tompolo was involved in plans to undermine Boyloaf and had reached an understanding with elements of the military.

However, according to the account, the alleged plan collapsed after fighters associated with Tompolo reportedly killed military personnel following a dispute over an oil barge.

Gbaboyor claims the incident changed the direction of the military response and eventually contributed to the well-known military operation in Oporoza, Gbaramatu Kingdom.

The allegation requires independent documentary and eyewitness verification.

Boyloaf Lays Down His Arms

Despite the violence and divisions within the movement, Gbaboyor portrays Boyloaf as one of the militants who ultimately embraced the peace process.

He said Boyloaf permanently surrendered his weapons and later pursued higher education.

According to Gbaboyor, Boyloaf subsequently obtained a First-Class degree in International Relations from Base University and a Master’s degree with Distinction in Intelligence and Global Security.

He further credits Boyloaf with contributing to the development of youth empowerment and peace-building initiatives across the Niger Delta.

“We Need to Set the Record Straight”

Gbaboyor said the purpose of his account is to challenge what he described as deliberate attempts by unnamed individuals to diminish Boyloaf’s contribution to the Niger Delta struggle.

He argued that Boyloaf took significant personal risks by engaging the Federal Government during the transition from armed confrontation to peace negotiations.

“General Boyloaf risked his life by coming out to face the Nigerian government to negotiate the path to peace,” Gbaboyor stated in his account.

He also argued that Boyloaf sought assurances about the safety and viability of the peace process before encouraging other former militants to participate.

Gbaboyor said researchers and historians are free to use the information contained in his account and invited those seeking clarification to contact the authors of the narrative.

Part Two, he said, will examine the specific roles played by other prominent leaders in the Niger Delta struggle.

Editor’s note: This report is based primarily on the historical account supplied by Jude Gbaboyor. Several claims concerning militant operations, individual responsibilities, intelligence leaks, military actions and negotiations are contested or require independent documentary confirmation. They should therefore be understood as allegations and recollections attributed to the author, rather than independently established facts.