Due to the current conflict Chief Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo is engaged in with oil thieves, whom he has referred to as "enemies of Nigeria," the Edafe Onokpite Foundation has urged the Federal Government of Nigeria to provide him with proper protection.
The call, according to the statement, is required because criminals stealing the country's oil in the Niger Delta Region could seek to retaliate.
The organization's founder, Comrade Edafe Onokpite, told media in Ugolo community in Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State that Chief Government Ekpemukpolo nicknamed Tompolo has to be protected because of the discoveries made by the Niger Delta hero.
Vanguard recalls that Chief Tompolo uncovered 18 different locations where pipelines were illegally being tapped and the nation’s crude was being stolen by oil thieves, with an estimated 600,000 meter tons of crude being stolen. Later reports said the vessel containing the stolen crude was set ablaze, after being caught.
With all this drama, “It is logical for the Federal Government to give Tompolo and his boys all the necessary protection that is needed,” the Foundation said.
Comrade Onokpite commended the Federal Government for awarding the pipeline surveillance to Chief Tompolo, who he said knows the terrain of the Niger Delta creeks and as such he is not surprised that today the step is yielding positive results.
“You can imagine we are losing about 800,000 barrels of crude every day thereby making it impossible for the country to meet the OPEC 1:8 million barrels quota! I am very sure with the intervention of Tompolo and his men the scourge of oil theft will be reduced if not completely eradicated,” he concluded.