Nigeria, Where Is Your Conscience? — Bayelsa Wife Begs Trump Over Husband’s Two-Year Disappearance As Mene Glory Challenges Ogunboss Over His Defence Of Tompolo

By Passman Akpos

YENAGOA, BAYELSA STATE — A growing controversy has erupted over the alleged abduction and disappearance of Bayelsa residents, following a fierce public confrontation between Mrs Mene Glory and Paul Eris, popularly known as General Ogunboss, an ex-militant leader from Bayelsa State, over his reported defence of Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo.

The controversy has raised uncomfortable questions about loyalty, accountability, the protection of vulnerable communities and the apparent silence of influential former militant leaders when allegations of human rights violations affect their own people.

At the centre of the dispute is the unresolved disappearance of Balamene Karowei, also identified as Bala Karowei, who reportedly disappeared on July 11, 2024, following an alleged abduction from Bayelsa State.

His wife, Mrs Faith Bala Karowei, and his niece have released emotional appeals alleging that their family has been left without its breadwinner, with the children reportedly unable to attend school because of the financial hardship following his disappearance.

Rather than addressing the substance of these disturbing allegations, Ogunboss has become embroiled in a heated exchange with critics, prompting Mene Glory to question his priorities and accuse him of abandoning the interests of his fellow Bayelsans.

MENE GLORY: “YOU ARE THE MOST WICKED AMNESTY OFFICE GENERAL”

In a strongly worded response to Ogunboss on social media, Mene Glory accused him of neglecting former comrades and allegedly withholding benefits meant for people who suffered alongside him during the Niger Delta struggle.

She wrote:

“You are the most wicked Amnesty office general. The little money that those who suffered with you are supposed to manage, you are eating it. Go and pay your boys; you have been eating their money for 13 years in the Amnesty Programme. The law will catch up with you soon.”

In another comment, she accused Ogunboss of defending Tompolo despite allegations surrounding the disappearance of Bayelsa residents.

She specifically mentioned Balamene Karowei and Charles Korubo, questioning why an individual who comes from Bayelsa would allegedly remain supportive of a powerful figure facing serious allegations concerning people from his own state.

Mene Glory also made an allegation concerning Ogunboss’s alleged drug use. However, no independent medical evidence was provided to substantiate that personal allegation, and Ogunboss should be given an opportunity to respond.

Her central criticism was that an influential former militant leader should demonstrate solidarity with families seeking answers over alleged abductions rather than engage in personal attacks against those demanding accountability.

THE DISTURBING VIDEO: KAROWEI’S NIECE SAYS HER UNCLE’S DISAPPEARANCE HAS DESTROYED THE FAMILY

In a heartbreaking video circulating online, the niece of Balamene Karowei narrated the devastating consequences of her uncle’s disappearance.

According to her, the family has been unable to establish his whereabouts since the alleged operation that took him away.

She alleged that Tompolo’s men abducted her uncle and that he was taken from Bayelsa State to a private detention facility in Delta State.

She appealed directly to President Donald Trump of the United States, international human rights organisations and Amnesty International to intervene and help secure her uncle’s release.

Her emotional account included a particularly disturbing revelation: she said her uncle had been responsible for her education and welfare following the death of her mother.

Since his disappearance, she alleged, she and the other children have been unable to continue their education.

She said:

“Over since Tompolo sent his boys to come and kidnapped my uncle, we don’t know his whereabouts. Even the governor of this state, Senator Douye Diri, is aware of this matter, but is not doing anything.

“We are suffering. Me and the children, we are suffering. We are not going to school. He was the only one taking care of us. Ever since I lost my mum, he was the one taking care of me. He was the one paying my school fees.

“Ever since they kidnapped him, I am in the house. My mates are going to school, but we are in the house doing nothing.”

Her appeal raises serious questions about the human consequences of unresolved disappearances and the responsibility of government institutions to protect families whose breadwinners allegedly vanish under suspicious circumstances.

WIFE’S HEARTBREAKING TESTIMONY: “MY HUSBAND HAS BEEN MISSING SINCE JULY 11, 2024”

The wife of the missing man, Mrs Faith Bala Karowei, also made an emotional appeal, insisting that she has spent more than two years searching for her husband without receiving the answers she desperately needs.

She identified July 11, 2024, as the date her husband allegedly disappeared.

In her testimony, she accused those she alleged were responsible for taking her husband from Bayelsa to Delta State of leaving her family in unbearable hardship.

She said:

“My name is Mrs Faith Bala Karowei, the wife of Kareowei Bala. My husband has been kidnapped since 2024 July 11. Still yet, Tompolo have not released my husband for me from his illegal private prison.

“Please Donald Trump, I am calling on you. Help me to look for my husband and ask Tompolo why he hold my husband till now.

“Those boys that Tompolo sent to come and carry my husband from Bayelsa State to Delta State, they are working freely. None of them have been asked where they keep my husband.”

She further alleged that the disappearance had left her unable to pay her children’s school fees or adequately provide for their healthcare.

According to her, even her husband’s mother has reportedly become seriously distressed over the disappearance of the son who previously supported her.

Her appeal is not merely about locating a missing person. It is also about the fate of children whose education and welfare have allegedly been disrupted and an elderly mother reportedly left in distress.

These are allegations that demand urgent, independent investigation.

THE OGUNBOSS QUESTION: WHY THE APPARENT SILENCE OVER BAYELSA’S ALLEGED ABDUCTION VICTIMS?

The controversy surrounding Ogunboss is particularly sensitive because he is himself from Bayelsa State and is known as a former militant leader.

Critics are questioning why someone with his background and influence would not make the plight of alleged victims and their families a priority.

The question is not whether Ogunboss must automatically support every accusation against Tompolo.

Rather, it is whether allegations involving the disappearance of fellow Bayelsans deserve the same seriousness, concern and public attention that influential personalities receive when they face criticism.

If the allegations are false, those accused should have the opportunity to provide evidence and clear their names.

If they are true, the victims deserve justice, regardless of the political relationships, financial interests or influence of anyone involved.

The public is also entitled to ask whether former militant leaders who benefited from the Presidential Amnesty Programme have a responsibility to speak out when the rights and safety of ordinary Niger Delta residents are allegedly threatened.

TOMPOLO MUST ANSWER THE QUESTIONS SURROUNDING KAROWEI’S DISAPPEARANCE

The allegations surrounding Karowei have also brought renewed attention to the activities of private security and pipeline surveillance structures operating across the Niger Delta.

Previous media reports have carried allegations linking Bodmas Kemepadei and other individuals to the circumstances surrounding Karowei’s disappearance.

Some reports have also alleged connections to Tompolo.

However, allegations of Tompolo’s direct involvement or control over any detention facility have not been conclusively established in court. Tompolo and the other individuals mentioned deserve an opportunity to respond to the specific allegations.

Nevertheless, the fundamental question remains unanswered:

WHERE IS BALAMENE KAROWEI?

If he was lawfully arrested, which agency authorised his arrest? Where is he being held? What offence is he suspected of committing? Has he been presented before a competent court? Why has his family continued to demand information about his whereabouts?

No individual, regardless of wealth, political connections, traditional influence or security contracts, should be above the law.

The Nigerian Constitution guarantees personal liberty and protection against unlawful detention. Anyone accused of an offence is entitled to due process, not disappearance into an undisclosed location.

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANISATIONS SHOULD PAY ATTENTION

The emotional appeals by Karowei’s wife and niece deserve attention from the National Human Rights Commission, Amnesty International, the United Nations human rights mechanisms and relevant international diplomatic institutions.

Their request for intervention should not be dismissed as another Niger Delta political disagreement.

A family alleging that its breadwinner disappeared more than two years ago deserves answers.

The Nigerian Police Force, Department of State Services, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and other relevant authorities should establish what happened on July 11, 2024, identify everyone involved and determine Karowei’s current whereabouts.

The Bayelsa State Government also has a responsibility to demonstrate what steps it has taken to investigate the family’s complaints.

If any public official or security personnel participated in an unlawful operation, that person should face investigation and appropriate legal consequences.

THE BIGGER QUESTION: HAS THE STRUGGLE FOR NIGER DELTA JUSTICE BEEN REPLACED BY PERSONAL LOYALTIES?

The confrontation between Mene Glory and Ogunboss has exposed a wider debate within the Niger Delta.

For decades, ordinary people in oil-producing communities have complained about insecurity, environmental degradation, poverty, unemployment and exclusion from the benefits of their natural resources.

The Presidential Amnesty Programme was established to address the consequences of militancy and promote reintegration, rehabilitation and development.

It was never intended to create untouchable personalities or establish a system in which influential former combatants could not be questioned.

If allegations of unlawful detention, missing persons and intimidation are substantiated, they must be investigated without fear or favour.

Similarly, allegations of financial misconduct within the Amnesty Programme should be supported by documentary evidence and subjected to appropriate scrutiny.

The Niger Delta cannot demand justice from Abuja while ignoring allegations of injustice within its own communities.

And no former militant leader should be expected to remain silent simply because the person facing allegations is powerful.

QUESTIONS THAT REQUIRE URGENT ANSWERS

1. Where is Balamene Karowei, who reportedly disappeared on July 11, 2024?
2. Which security agency, if any, authorised the operation that allegedly took him from Bayelsa State?
3. What roles, if any, did Bodmas Kemepadei and the other individuals identified in previous reports play?
4. Has Tompolo ever had Karowei in his custody, and what is his response to the family’s allegations?
5. What concrete steps have Governor Douye Diri and the Federal Government taken to investigate the disappearance?
6. Why has the family reportedly continued to demand information about Karowei’s whereabouts?
7. What is General Ogunboss’s position on the allegations, and why has his public confrontation with critics overshadowed the family’s demand for answers?
8. Will the National Human Rights Commission and relevant international human rights organisations independently examine the family’s complaints?

TARAKIRIVOICE EDITORIAL POSITION

The disappearance of a Nigerian citizen is not a matter to be settled through social media insults, political alliances or displays of influence.

Mrs Faith Bala Karowei and her children deserve answers. Her niece deserves to return to school. The elderly mother deserves to know the fate of her son.

If Balamene Karowei is alive, his whereabouts should be established and his legal rights respected. If he is being unlawfully detained, he must be released. If there is evidence of a criminal offence, the appropriate authorities should prosecute through established judicial procedures.

General Ogunboss should also explain his position on the allegations rather than allow the controversy to degenerate into personal attacks.

Tompolo, Bodmas Kemepadei and every other person mentioned in the allegations should respond to the specific questions raised.

THE NIGER DELTA DOES NOT BELONG TO ANY INDIVIDUAL. ITS PEOPLE DESERVE SECURITY, DIGNITY AND JUSTICE.

The question is no longer simply who is winning the social media argument between Mene Glory and Ogunboss.

The question is whether a missing Bayelsa man will ever return to his family and whether anybody will finally be held accountable if wrongdoing is established.

TARAKIRIVOICE NEWSPAPER — WITHOUT FEAR NOR FAVOUR.