No less than 1,000 joint crack team of detectives from the Nigerian military, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the Department of States Security Service, DSS and the Nigerian police has been despatch to the South-South region, particularly Delta State to fish out embattled former militant commander, Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo who was declared wanted on Thursday by the EFCC.
The anti-graft agency, in an advertorial signed by its Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, said it decided to declare Tompolo wanted following two bench warrants issued against him by a Federal High Court in Lagos, where he has been charged with a N45.9 billion fraud.
A highly placed source at the EFCC disclosed that that a joint security operation has been approved by the federal government through the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Alhaji Abubakar Malami, SAN, to unravel the hideout of the embattled former militant commander.
The source also said that some of the security operatives have been despatched to the airports and borders across the country to avoid Tompolo escaping.
In the said advertorial, which carried a photograph of Tompolo, the EFCC described him as 47-year-old, dark-complexioned man from Okerenkoko, Gbaramatu Kingdom in the Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State.
Tompolo, whose address was given as No. 1, Chief Agbanu Street, DDPA Extension, Warri, Delta State, speaks both Izon and English languages, according to EFCC.
Justice Ibrahim Buba of a Federal High Court in Lagos had issued a bench warrant against Tompolo on January 14 after he shunned a summons dated January 12, 2016 issued by the judge to appear in connection with the fraud charges filed against him and nine others by EFCC.
Rather appear, Tompolo through his counsel brought an application seeking to quash the bench warrant and arrest order. He again failed to appear this week, forcing the judge to issue yet another warrant for him to be produced before February 19.
Tompolo’s lawyer, Mr. Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), after failing to get the bench warrant vacated, turned down the responsibility of producing his client in court.
Oyetibo said it was the responsibility of the prosecution to produce the suspect in court.
The EFCC filed 40 counts against Tompolo and nine others, including the immediate-past Director General of NIMASA, Patrick Akpobolokemi.
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