The former Operations Commander of the Movement for the emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, has accused the Federal Government of planning to use his arrest to get at former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
According to Tom-Polo, the former president was the primary target of the government, while his planned arrest was supposed to be a smoke screen to get at the former leader.
Tom-Polo, who spoke with Guardian in a rare exclusive interview, added that his father who died last week, was physically assaulted by security forces on May 26, 2016 when they invaded Kurutie Town, in the Gbaramatu Local Government, area where his late father, Thomas Ekpemupolo was staying before his death.
The former Freedom fighter, explained that the soldiers who attacked his aged father, ransacked his home and others in the community and that he suffered serious bodily injuries which resulted into the amputation of his lower limbs.
In his words, he said ; ‘’ I am just a victim of circumstances. I am just a perceived enemy of the government. The intention of the government was to arrest former president Goodluck Jonathan. But they feel that arresting Jonathan without arresting me may be difficult, that was the reason why they are after me’’.
On his father’s death, he said; ‘’It happened on the early hours of Saturday May 28, 2016 when the Nigerian Army under the guise of looking for members of the Niger Delta Avengers and of course my humble self, who they have accused of being behind the activities of the group without any evidence, invaded Kurutie town, where my father, Chief Thomas Ekpemupolo was staying.
They ransacked the whole building and brutalized him. He sustained an injury in one of his legs. We took him to Warri for medical attention after one week of the incident due to difficulty in movement from the village to Warri because of the activities of the Army, and he was admitted at Lily Clinic, where thorough medical tests were conducted on him.
The doctors later advised that his lower limb should be amputated because complication has set in as a result of the injury. We agreed to this and that was done. However, he later died in the clinic after two months. He described claims by security forces that he has been sponsoring the dreaded militant group, The Niger Delta Avengers, as, ‘’baseless and a wicked allegation. ‘’I have refuted the allegation. Even the government knows that I am not a sponsor of the Niger Delta Avengers. They are only looking for something to nail me’’.
He took a swipe at the country’s judicial system, which he said kow-tows to the government in purely legal matters, praying that the judiciary has to be independent to be effective in serving the people, especially in matters involving ‘’perceived enemies of the state’’. ‘’I was the first person to sue the government and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) because my company’s account was restricted unjustly, but till now, the court has been playing funny, as the court has refused to hear the matter, instead, it has been adjourning the case at every sitting. ‘’I pray that the Nigerian Judiciary should be independent, otherwise, it is difficult for a perceived enemy of the government to get justice and judgement’’.
He also took a swipe at the federal Government, as headed by President Muhammadu Buhari,saying that the former Army General does not have a clue about how to manage the economy of the country, as evidenced by the present economic situation. ‘’ Now Nigerians have seen the way the government has run the economy aground because they are clueless, and only chasing shadows. It is difficult to give what you do not have’’.
He also threatened to return to the creeks, because the Federal Government has failed the people and the only way he can help his people is to go back to the creek and lay among his people, as he has done in the past.
He said; ‘’That is where I come from, and the whole of my life I have stayed there. This is just a temporary setback as I prefer to stay in the creek than any other place. ‘’ That was why I led the struggle for a better living condition for the people so that in the shortest possible time, the creek is urbanized so that the people will live like their counterparts in the urban areas’’.
