Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, is facing renewed public backlash after a viral video surfaced showing him allegedly abusing the Nigerian Naira during his 54th birthday celebration.
The incident sparked outrage online, with many Nigerians calling on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to take action.
Tompolo, a former militant leader, traditional priest, and businessman, hails from Okerenkoko in Delta State’s Gbaramatu Kingdom.
Born on April 12, 1971, he came into prominence in the 1990s during the Ijaw-Itsekiri conflict and later joined the Ijaw Youth Council. By the late 1990s, he became a key commander of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), leading armed campaigns against oil companies and the federal government over environmental and economic injustice.
Known for his guerrilla tactics and influence in the creeks, Tompolo once cut Nigeria’s oil production by half through coordinated attacks on pipelines and the abduction of foreign workers. He accepted the federal amnesty program under President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and withdrew from militancy, but controversy has continued to trail him.
In 2016, the EFCC declared him wanted for alleged corruption and money laundering, prompting him to go into hiding for six years. He resurfaced in 2020 at his Egbesu shrine in Gbaramatu. His name has also been linked to the killing of 11 soldiers during a military operation—though he was never apprehended, a cache of weapons was found at his camp.
Now, with fresh scrutiny over the viral naira abuse incident, Nigerians are demanding accountability, questioning whether the influential ex-militant will once again evade legal consequences.
