By AZIEWA THOMAS
Media reports have gone overdrive all day
that former Niger Delta militant, Government
Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, has acquired 7
warships.
A Norwegian newspaper, Dagbladet, fanned the
flames of the report when it disclosed that
Tompolo bought “seven decommissioned
Norwegian battleships”.
The report stated that the Hauk-class guided
missile boats had been re-armed with new
weaponry.
The ships were reportedly sold first to CAS
Global, a British security company that has such
a license, after which Ekpemupolo reportedly
bought the ships from the British company.
It was further revealed that Tompolo is
in control of the Global West Vessel Service, a
privately owned contractor for maritime security
for the Nigerian Maritime Safety Agency, which
was given the task of protecting the nation’s
water ways to curb the spate of crude oil theft.
In spite of widespread criticism on awarding the
contract to Tompolo in 2011, the head of
Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety
agency (NIMASA), Patrick Akpobolokemi was
quick to jump to his defence, saying that those
conducting illegal activities “are grumbling
because their activities will be exposed”. He
added: “We owe nobody an apology to do what
is right”.
However, since the first N150 billion FG-
NIMASA contract gotten by Tompolo in 2011, the
theft of crude oil, instead of reducing, has
steadily increased.
Furthermore, Dagbladet reported that the seven
Norwegian ships are now part of the company’s
maritime fleet patrolling under a contract for the
Federal Government.
While many are left wondering what purpose the
warships would be to Tompolo, some have
stated that the purchase is to intensify the
protection of the nation’s maritime waters.
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