'I'm not sponsoring Niger Delta Avengers,' Ex-militant leader says

dimeji akinloye

August 8, 2016 11:36 PM

Tompolo described the report linking him to the Niger Delta Avengers as 'voodoo'.

Former Niger Delta militant, Government Ekpemupolo, aka Tompolo (pictured)

Former militant leader, Chief

In a statement issued on Monday, August 8, by Tompolo's spokesman, Paul Bebenimibo, described the report linking him to the group as 'voodoo'.

A breakaway faction of the Avengers, Reformed Niger Delta Avengers, had named former President Goodluck Jonathan, Tompolo, Senator Godwill Akpabio, Raymond Dokpesi and other prominent individuals as sponsors of the group.

“In the same report, my boss, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo was also mentioned as one of the sponsors of the NDA," the statement said.

“My initial decision was to ignore the said report as a result of the source and the bogus nature of the story; however, in order to set the records straight, I decided to write to dissociate my boss and myself from that wicked and malicious report.”

It continued: “I wish to advise the Nigerian government to look for better ways to resolve the Niger Delta problem, and not to continue to compound the issue by relaying on voodoo means to resolve the issue, like this particular report which could be likened to a voodoo report.

“If a people, that is the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers have claimed to part ways with the NDA, after destroying almost all the oil facilities in the Niger Delta region, and turn around to claim that they have repented and mentioned some people as sponsors and operatives of the NDA, then the government and people of this country need to know such people (RNDA) and treat them accordingly, and not the responsible Nigerians they mentioned as sponsors and operatives.”

ALSO READ: Avengers slam Tompolo for calling them criminals

The breakaway militants had claimed that they left the group because their comrades refused to see reasons with the federal government, adding that they wanted to join the peace talk being facilitated by MEND.

dimeji akinloye