IPDI Dismisses Allegations Against Tompolo, Demands Retraction, Asks Gbabojor, Ezekiel to Retrace Steps

By Osaro Michael, Benin

The Ijaw Peoples Development Initiative (IPDI) has strongly dismissed allegations contained in a widely circulated open letter accusing High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, of operating illegal detention facilities, kidnapping, torture, and murder, describing the claims as “false, malicious, defamatory, and politically motivated.”

The statement further warned one Jude Gbabojor, and Daniel Ezekiel to retrace their steps, adding that no individual interest worth blackmailing people who have sacrificed their lives for the Niger Delta region development.

In an official statement dated July 25, 2026, and signed by its National President, Comrade Ozobo Austin, the group said the allegations against Tompolo and Tantita Security Services Limited were “entirely fabricated, baseless, and a deliberate attempt to tarnish the reputation” of the Niger Delta leader and undermine the Federal Government’s pipeline surveillance initiative.

“We categorically reject and condemn the false, defamatory, and malicious allegations contained in the so-called open letter circulated on social media against High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo,” the statement read.

IPDI maintained that Tompolo neither owns nor operates any private detention centre in Oporoza or any other part of the country, stressing that arrest, detention, and prosecution remain the exclusive constitutional responsibilities of agencies such as the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the courts.

“Tompolo does not own, operate, or manage any detention facility in Oporoza or anywhere else. Any claim that a private citizen operates prisons is legally and logistically impossible without detection by security agencies,” the group stated, challenging the authors of the allegations to provide “verifiable proof, including GPS coordinates, photographs, or court records.”

The organization also defended the operations of Tantita Security Services Limited, noting that the company functions strictly under a Federal Government and NNPC contract to safeguard Nigeria’s oil and gas infrastructure.

“All Tantita personnel operate under approved rules of engagement. Their mandate is to arrest suspects and hand them over to the appropriate authorities—not to detain or torture anyone,” IPDI said, adding that there are no official reports implicating Tantita personnel in unlawful detention or torture.

Reacting to claims that several individuals were allegedly being detained in Oporoza, the group argued that no police reports, medical records, court filings, or complaints before the National Human Rights Commission had been presented to support such accusations.

It further described allegations that Tompolo offered a ₦50 million bribe to a family as “a wicked fabrication” aimed at linking the Niger Delta leader to murder allegations.

“We demand proof of payment, witnesses, or bank records. No such offer was ever made,” the statement added.

IPDI also condemned comparisons made between Tompolo and Adolf Hitler, describing them as “inflammatory, irresponsible, and in bad taste.”

“High Chief Tompolo has spent the last 17 years advocating peace, development, and security in the Niger Delta. His contributions through Tantita have helped improve Nigeria’s oil production and federal revenue. Reducing those efforts to a ‘reign of terror’ is nothing but a political smear,” the group stated.

According to IPDI, the allegations are part of a recurring campaign allegedly designed to discredit Tompolo and derail ongoing efforts to combat crude oil theft.

The group claimed the publication was intended to distract the Federal Government and Tantita from the successes recorded in pipeline surveillance, incite ethnic division within the Niger Delta, and pressure authorities to terminate what it described as a successful security contract.

As part of its demands, IPDI called for an immediate retraction of the allegations and a public apology from the authors and publishers of the letter.

“We reserve the right to institute civil and criminal proceedings for defamation, cyberstalking, and incitement through the appropriate security agencies,” the statement warned.

The organization concluded by reaffirming its support for Tompolo, describing him as “a law-abiding citizen committed to peace and development in the Niger Delta and Nigeria at large,” while urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, security agencies, and the general public to disregard what it called “a campaign of calumny” against the former militant leader.