“Tompolo Was The Face Of Niger Delta Avengers, Now Face Of Private Prisons?” — Ezekiel Daniel Declares Tantita Contract Will Not Be Renewed
By Passman Akpos
Apostle Ezekiel Daniel Perela Osia has issued a strongly worded warning to former Niger Delta militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, accusing him of allegedly using his influence and business interests to perpetrate abuses against people in the Niger Delta.
Osia alleged that Tompolo had consistently relied on denial whenever allegations of wrongdoing were raised against him, drawing a parallel between the controversy surrounding the Niger Delta Avengers’ pipeline attacks and current allegations concerning purported private detention facilities in Oporoza.
According to the cleric, Tompolo allegedly denied involvement with the Niger Delta Avengers when oil installations were being attacked, and is now employing what Osia described as the same “denial tactic” over allegations linked to activities in Oporoza.
The apostle subsequently warned that Tompolo could eventually be forced to abandon his present environment and “flee to the forest” if what he described as alleged abuses against local people continued.
Osia also accused Tompolo and some of his supporters in Oporoza of allegedly abusing the privileges and goodwill they had enjoyed over the years, arguing that such opportunities were made possible by the collective struggles and sacrifices of the Ijaw people.
Tantita Contract Under Fire
The cleric also waded into the controversy surrounding the pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Tantita Security Services, insisting that, in his view, the Federal Government would not renew the agreement.
Osia alleged that Tompolo had mobilised influential personalities across the country to Abuja in an attempt to lobby for the continuation of the contract.
He claimed that traditional rulers and National Assembly figures were allegedly involved in what he described as an intensive door-to-door lobbying campaign aimed at securing a contract extension.
Tantita and Tompolo have faced public scrutiny over the pipeline surveillance arrangement, although allegations made by Osia in his statement remain allegations and would require independent verification and responses from those accused.
“God Has Heard The Cries Of The People”
Drawing from the biblical account of the Israelites in Egypt, Osia said God had heard the alleged cries of people in the Niger Delta who, according to his claims, had been kidnapped, taken away and detained in private facilities.
He argued that the situation represented a serious betrayal of the people and accused Tompolo of falling short of the values he associates with Yeshua.
The cleric further described Tantita as an alleged “evil instrument,” claiming that the company was being used to perpetrate abuses across the region.
He alleged that the activities had become sufficiently serious to attract the attention of both Nigerian authorities and members of the international community.
Cleric Draws Parallel With Slave Trade
In one of the most controversial portions of his statement, Osia compared the alleged treatment of Niger Delta residents to the historical transatlantic slave trade, where Africans were sometimes captured and sold by other Africans to foreign traders.
He specifically alleged that Kari Ebipade was acting as an enforcer for Tompolo and accused him of allegedly kidnapping fellow Egbema people and taking them to a purported private prison in Oporoza.
Osia subsequently called on members of the public to reject Ebipade’s candidacy.
The allegations against Ebipade, like the other accusations contained in the statement, have not been independently established in the material available for this report.
Calls For Government Action
Osia called on the Federal Government not to renew any pipeline surveillance contract involving Tompolo or Tantita and urged authorities not to award further government contracts to them.
He alleged that proceeds from government contracts were being diverted toward the operation of what he described as a private prison and other unlawful activities.
The cleric’s allegations represent serious claims that, if substantiated, could have significant legal and security implications. However, no evidence establishing the claims was provided in the statement, and the accused parties would be entitled to respond.
Threatens International Intervention
Concluding his statement, Osia said the matter would not be allowed to disappear from public attention.
He claimed that formal complaints had already been sent to more than ten international organisations and security agencies, which he said would independently investigate the allegations if Nigerian authorities failed to take action.
He further called for Tompolo and others allegedly involved in the purported abuses to be prosecuted under Nigerian law if investigations establish criminal wrongdoing.
The controversy comes amid continuing public debate over oil pipeline security, surveillance contracts, resource control and the treatment of communities in the Niger Delta.
For now, the allegations remain contested claims, and any determination of criminal responsibility would require credible evidence, investigation and due process.
