Obotobo II Community In Delta Rejoices With Tompolo On His Acquittal 

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By Binebai Princewill

The people of Obotobo II  community in Oil rich Ogulagha Kingdom, Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State have congratulated Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo on his latest victory  at the Federal High Court in Lagos.

Speaking on behalf of the entire members of Obotobo II community, Engr. Johnson F. Gbenewei, Chairman of the oil rich community in a conversation with The Liberator Newspaper asserted  that Tompolo, the generalissimo of the Niger Delta struggle remains a man his people and the entire region will continue to owe in high esteem. 

While expressing his happiness on behalf of the good and hospitable people of Obotobo II Community, Chairman Johnson had called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to release all the hitherto seized properties of the former Niger Delta warlord. 

Engr. Gbenewei admonished the Federal Government of Nigeria to make total peace with Tompolo for a more prosperous country, stressing that Odokorikodo has always being a man of peace and an ardent believer of progress. 

The chairman maintained that as a community, they will continue to role out drums for celebration as the news of Tompolo’s freedom calls for it.

It would be recalled that a Lagos Division of the Federal High Court Wednesday dismissed all the 40 counts bordering on alleged N34 billion fraud filed by the Federal Government against Global West Vessel Specialist Limited, a company linked to a former Niger Delta militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo.

Three other firms – Odimiri Electrical Limited; Boloboere Property and Estate Limited; and Destre Consult Limited – were also defendants in the criminal case filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in 2015.

The ex-militant leader was initially joined as the first defendant in the suit, but his name was removed from the charge sheet after he ignored an order to appear in court, despite the judge issuing an arrest warrant on him.

In his ruling on Wednesday, Mr Buba upheld the defendants’ no-case submission, saying the prosecution “failed to establish a prima facie case” against them.

He dismissed the entire charges and set them free.

In the charges, the EFCC had accused the defendants of conspiring among themselves to divert various sums running into over N34bn, belonging to NIMASA to their personal use.

The EFCC said they acted contrary to Section 18 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and were liable to punishment under Section 15 (3) of the same Act.

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