Tompolo of Niger Delta: Between Dialogue and Confrontation

By Yushau A. Shuaib
“NEMA Registers 3500 Displaced People in Warri”

The above quotation was the title of a press release I issued as the spokesperson of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on June 25, 2009 after the completion of our assignment in setting up Internally Displaced Person’s (IDPs) camp in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South West, Delta State.

The NEMA’s intervention followed a clash between the military-led Joint Task Force (JTF) and Tompolo-led Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) which had claimed responsibility for the deaths of some soldiers and displacements of citizens.

Even though the military endorsed our passage to the creek in May 2009, some of us were scared stiff of the possibility of being captured by militants on a suspicion of being government’s spies. Surprisingly we were well-received by community leaders and local government council officials which was then under the Chairmanship of younger brother to Government Tompolo, the most wanted Militant Leader . To our amazement, we discovered some Hausa-Fulani folks within the hinterland who had adopted Ijaw-land as home away from home, speaking the local dialect fluently and even enjoying the locally brewed gin!

It was a scary adventure for NEMA responders as we persuaded women and children to come out from their hideouts in the bush. Their plights were better imagined as we had to close down some schools and health centres and converted them to IDP camps. Some pregnant women delivered babies in the thick forest; their men languished in the bush and stayed on water as thousands other displaced persons had scattered into the neighbouring states of Bayelsa, Edo, Ondo and Rivers.

While the Nigerian troops were still hunting for the militants, NEMA’s reports and intelligent information from other sources, persuaded the peace-loving President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, a Muslim Northerner from Katsina State to endorse the Amnesty Agreement.

The elusive Tompolo and other ex-militant leaders emerged from their hideouts and agreed to the Amnesty programmes in the Presidential Villa  as they surrendered their sophisticated weapons and were eventually pardoned by Yar’Adua’s government.

The risky decision of President Yar’Adua in embracing dialogues and approving the Amnesty for the Niger Delta militants rather than confrontation through military might, quickly stabilised the region, boosted the volume of crude oil production, steadied supply of gas to electricity power stations, increased revenue to the Federation Account and ensured engagement of many youths of that region in various productive ventures including capacity building programmes at home and abroad.

Precisely seven years after, we are back to the old story as militants have staged a resurgence of hostilities through a new group, Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) which is attracting global media attention by destructions of oil facilities in the region. This unfortunate development is coming at a period when Nigerian troops are contending with Boko Haram menace in the North-East.

The activities of NDA and other similar groups are reminiscence of Pre-Yar’Adua’s Amnesty when the militants engaged in abductions of oil workers, especially the expatriates; rampant sea-piracy; destructions of oil facilities and killing of ordinary citizens and security personnel.

There are concerns expressed by some ex-militants that the Amnesty Programme may soon be jettisoned by Buhari’s administration as the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Brig. Gen Paul Boroh (rtd), recently disclosed that the programme is very expensive and cannot be sustained in perpetuity.

Coupled with that fear are the unfounded allegations that the current administration is after ex-militant leaders who supported Goodluck Jonathan in the last presidential election. Some are even claiming that the prosecution of Tompolo by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over corrupt practices is political witch-hunting.

There are certainly those that are not comfortable with military threats to ‘crush’ Niger Delta militants like Boko Haram Terrorists considering the fact that Nigerian troops are already overstretched as they engage in war on terror in the North-East. The Niger Delta creek is also precariously impenetrable terrain. Such threats, according to some critics, portray the government as adopting confrontational stance rather than diplomatic approach at addressing the youth restiveness.

In the face of military threats to crush the vandals, it is the unidentified militants that are currently ‘crushing’ and crippling Nigeria’s economy through the destructions of oil installations that provide gas for domestic power generation and crude oil for export. For instance, after the attack on the Nigeria Gas Company’s pipeline in January 2016, the Minister of Power and Works, Raji Fashola announced that the country was losing N470m daily. On the other hand, the Minister of State for Petroleum and Managing Director of NNPC, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, also disclosed that Nigeria losses 800,000 barrels of crude oil daily  due to pipeline vandalism which easily translates to the revenue loss of over N7bn daily.

And just recently the Ad-hoc Committee on Crude Oil Theft Prevention and Control of the National Economic Council (NEC)  revealed that the Federal Government does not have adequate operational vessels to patrol and secure the network of pipelines in the Niger Delta.

While we must condemn the destruction of oil facilities by the Niger Delta militants, the government should tread a political line through dialogues. President Buhari should ignore any misleading advice as some zealots would rather want our President to act like a no-nonsense cowboy in Hollywood movies. At over 70 years, President Buhari does not have that youthful strength and excessive power of military dictatorship to re-enact forceful compliance to orders because of democratic ethos.

As the father of the nation, Buhari should employ humane and thoughtful strategies that would not exacerbate the already tense political and economic situations in the country. He should demonstrate exemplary leadership qualities through compassionate disposition and diplomatic overtures to the belligerent militants whose sponsors are yet to be identified.

Since the most wanted Niger Delta militant, Government Tompolo, has issued Open Letters , appealing to President Muhamadu Buhari to intervene on his plight, the government should temper justice with mercy and capitalise on that and woo other leaders in the region for amicable solutions to the crises.

After fruitful dialogues government should work out concrete structures that would permanently address the plight of people whose environment provides the chunk of our national revenue. The government should also pursue aggressive economic diversification programmes for other geopolitical zones towards economic self-reliant and sustenance.

Yushau A. Shuaib
www.yashuaib.com
yashuaib@yahoo.com
Abuja

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In Defence of Abdul Mutallab of Nigeria – A Response to MEND – By Yushau A, Shuaib

I extremely envy and admire the American and British governments and people for uniquely defending their citizens around the world, even when accused of criminality. They maintain the innocence of their citizens to ensure justice is done until decided otherwise by the court of law.

Recently there was a case of Meredith Kercher, a British girl schooling in Rome who was killed by Amanda Knox, her American roommate over drug-induced sex game. The case was decided in Italy where the crime was committed. The American and British press actively engaged one another in campaigns to support their respective citizens in the case. At the end the American lady Amanda Knox who is 22, was sentenced to 26 years in an Italian prison for killing Meredith. The debate still goes on.

The latest incident that gives us food for thought is that of Akmal Shaikh, a 53 years old British citizen, though of Asian origin who was executed by Chinese government for drug trafficking. Not only did the ordinary Britons and their press campaign for leniency in favour of the suspect, the Prime Minister Gordon Brown personally mounted a campaign that persuaded the European Union to strongly condemn the execution of British citizen who was put to death by lethal injection for trafficking four kilograms of heroin. Gordon Brown, as the leader spoke, wrote and pleaded with his counterpart in China before the execution, claiming that the convict suffered from bipolar disorder and was lured into carrying the drugs by the promise of a pop music career in China. The latest was a statement by EU deeply regretting that China did not heed repeated calls by Britain and the EU for clemency.

The essence for the above scenarios is to point out that there is pride in defending the integrity of a country and its citizens, even as suspects pending the determination of cases against them in competent Courts of jurisdiction.

The embarrassing attempted suicide bombing of a Detroit-bound flight from Amsterdam on Christmas Day by a young Nigerian; Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, caught the global community in unbelievable frenzy, because, Nigerians’ notoriety has never reached a level of suicide bombing. It is worthy to note that the father of the suspect is a respected banker and retired top public functionary in Nigeria who had alerted the relevant security agencies of his son’s untoward behaviour before the incident. This is an exemplary conducts which demonstrate that Nigerians and other Abdulmutallabs are not fanatical and insane to encourage or undertake unnecessary suicidal expedition.

It is very unfortunate that immediately the news was broken that the bomb suspect was a Muslim from Northern Nigeria, many self-pride bloggers and commentators with hidden agenda use the incidence to attack a section of the country and adherents of Islamic faith. So painful was their insinuation that they poured out balderdash to call for secession of the country and rained insults on the family of young Abdulmutallab. In law, a suspect is presumed innocent until proven otherwise by a competent court, yet some Nigerians continued to sensationalise the incident with sectional and religious sentiments which exemplified our backwardness in public discourse. To one’s bewilderment, foreign media and analysts exhibit more constraint in associating the conduct of the child to the character of Nigeria just as President Barak Obama of USA, pointed out that the boy was trained and armed in a foreign land, Yemen.

One of the organisations that shamelessly coloured the incident with sectional and religious undertone was the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), whose official statement on the suspect was to urge governments around the world to pay more attention to northern Nigeria, claiming that the region is a threat to world peace and “fertile ground” for international terrorism. They also provoke ember of hatred by insinuating that “for decades, Christians have been murdered and raped in northern Nigeria with impunity.” In essence, they are appealing to foreign forces to invade the North as if there are no Christians in Northern Nigeria.

Won’t it sound unbecoming to associate social vices peculiar to some sections of the country to its people, because of the action of few who engage in international prostitution, drug trafficking, Sea Piracy, 419 fraudsters, armed robbery, kidnapping for ransom and the recruitment of young girls as baby-manufacturers in addition to ritual killings?

The cowardly Niger Delta militants who have similar attributes of Somalian Sea pirates who are notorious in kidnapping the rich for ransom, oil bunkering, piracy, gun running, killing and destruction of the environment, their victims are foreigners and local people alike.

The international community should realise that the MEND and their collaborators are the only criminally-inspired armed group in West Africa today that have attacked the interests of American, British and other nations exploring oil in Nigeria by kidnapping and killing their workers and destroying their investment such as infrastructures of Shell and Chevron among other oil companies operating in Nigeria.

Since 2006 when they started their armed struggle claiming to be fighting for a greater share of oil wealth for local communities, but unfortunately their members pocket ransom money and live ostentatious lives to the amazement of their kinsmen. They are so cowardly that they go with pseudo names while destroying their environment and damaging the reputation of peace-loving people of Niger Delta, a region that is now most scary and risky district for investment and tourism. Yet their states receive the highest allocations in the country, only for them to blackmail their leadership to share such resources with them or risk kidnapping and killing of innocent citizens.

The antic of MEND and their likes to create confusion in Nigeria make it compelling to explore likely conspiracy theories on Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab’s unfortunate attempt. Covert operations with hidden agenda may not be discountenance as local and external undesirable elements might have manipulated the incidence to put Nigeria in spotlight for clandestine assault. We may recall the 1954 ‘Lavon Affairs’ known as operation Susannah in which Israeli military intelligence planted bombs in Egyptian, American and British-owned targets in Egypt in the summer of 1954 in the hopes that Egyptians and Muslim Brotherhood would be blamed for the attack before the plot was exposed. We should also recall the lies of former President Bush and Tony Blair on Smoking Gun that Iraq possessed Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD) to sway the international community to endorse an invasion of the Arab country so that the two countries can control vast oil resources and facilitate increased heavy military spending in the Middle East after creating confusion.

While we must all condemn the insane and unfathomable attempted suicidal mission that would have resulted in the death of 250 passengers from the action of the young bomber whose visage looks innocent and with humble mien, we need to critically examine and study tendencies and likely influence that could have manipulated the Nigerian child for the action. The unfolding revelations about the suspected suicide bomber from foreign media, his schoolmates, teachers and friends indicate a sorry state of his loneliness, introvert and detachment from his family. They all disclose his worthy lifestyle in schools as teetotaller, pious, religious, humble and a fan of Arsenal and Liverpool football clubs. He would rather donate his pocket money to the orphanage than buy souvenirs for himself. Likewise, he does not brag about his family’s wealth as he rejects flamboyant lifestyle. Some children from similar background could have gone into drug addiction, trafficking, armed robbery among other social vices.

We also need to explore the possibility of excessive depression and some element of insanity as a result of loneliness which the un-die bomber claimed in some of his postings in social media. Such investigations become necessary, based on reports that his aggressive and violent tendency emerged abruptly after his graduation from Department of Mechanical Engineering of the University College London. He had all his adulthood outside the shores of Nigeria.

What I have attempted to do as a Nigerian with this piece is to point out that as Nigerians condemn in unequivocal terms the action of the young bomber, an isolated case indeed, the international community should unearth those who manipulated this innocent and lonely youngman to become vulnerable for exploitation. We are aware that innocent souls are easily misled and drugged to take actions unconsciously.

It is gratifying to note that the Father of the suspects, Abdulmutallab, a true and patriotic Nigerian had forewarned security agencies of his child emerging radicalisation which unfortunately was not heeded. The exemplary conducts of the father is a further demonstration that not all Nigerians are crook who will overlook or endorse negative tendencies of their ward like Niger delta militants who have been led astray.

The lesson to be learnt from the predicaments of Abdul Mutallab family is that parents should closely monitor and relate affectionately with their children to check control likely tendencies that may lead them to devilish paths.

This article was first published in the Economic Confidential January, Leadership Jan 4, African Hearld Express Jan 5, New Nigerian Jan 6, Peoples Daily Jan 7, Nigerian Tribune Jan 10, Thisday Jan 12, vanguard Jan 18, Daily Sun Jan 26, Daily Trust Jan 27-28 and Daily Independent Jan 28, 2010

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This writer recently had an opportunity of travelling, on special humanitarian assignment, to Warri South West Local Government Council in Nigeria where the Nigerian military engaged the Niger Delta militants in arms raids after the latter’s abduction of some military personnel. The media have reported large scale destruction and casualties from the fracas, based on information obtained from members of the affected communities or from the militants themselves, especially from a group called, Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) that has continued to claim responsibility for pipeline vandalisation, hostage taking and other similar outbursts signifying criminality.

The opportunity to travel to the creek was provided when I joined a team from Nigeria’s National Emergency Management agency (NEMA) which is statutorily empowered to manage disasters including distribution of emergency materials to victims of natural and man-induced disasters and assist in the rehabilitation of the victims. It is also mandated to liaise with State Emergency Management Committees to assess and monitor the distribution of relief. In addition it coordinates the activities of all voluntary organisations engaged in emergency relief operations in all parts of the federation.

As at the time the crisis began the Director General of NEMA, AVM Mohammed Audu-Bida, a retired airforce general with military experience in humanitarian and rescue missions in Iraq and Liberia among other countries was in the USA for an official summit. But interestingly as an emergency officer who is regularly in touch with his principal officers for any untoward development in the country, directed the deployment of a team comprising staff from Abuja, Enugu and Port-Harcourt zonal offices. Against all odds, the team moved into the area to assess the situation for humanitarian interventions.

In the first day of our arrival there was no shooting wheresoever though the people in the communities ran away on sighting us until we were able to convince those courageous enough about our humanitarian mission. We let them know that NEMA does not discriminate against distressed people as only security personnel can determine criminals from innocents. After a lot of persuasions and healthy interactions, they accepted our overture. We started to reach out to the community leaders, youth leaders, women and children to assure them of the government commitment to guarantee their safety. The ordinary people of those communities looked innocent, humble and friendly from the negative impression created on them by various criminal activities being reported about the citizens. Though the officials of the local government were not available until a day after when we met a Legislative Leader of the council, Mrs Rose Tulu who took us round to meet some of the displaced people.

As much as there were anxieties in the air, the ordinary people we saw were in high spirit. In fact some social services were uninterrupted including the schools except the general hospital in the council which was deserted a day before our arrival when it was alleged that some soldiers forced the people and the doctor away. We also saw some men enjoying themselves with kegs of local palm wine, while other businesses went on.

Since the displaced people were scattered in different locations, we had to close a primary school to establish the first Internally Displaced People Camp (IDPC)which had a strategic proximity to most of the affected communities. We ensure foodstuffs were immediately provided while reassuring the people of their safety.

It was after we created a temporary office within the camp that teams from the Red Cross and Doctor-Without-Border came in and we held a meeting to assess the situation and on how to provide succour to the people.

Since in an emergency, speedy actions are required for effective humanitarian services, thus computers and phones became the office and documents to receive directives and carry out orders which facilitated a quick provision of bags of rice, beans, gari, salts, tea and cans of cooking oil. We also constructed emergency toilets. Unfortunately NEMA trucks from Enugu conveying mattresses, blankets, rubber mats, clothing, disinfectants, buckets and children shoes were arbitrarily intercepted by some security personnel on the highways which delayed the arrival of the relief items.

We were informed by the community leaders that 25 communities were affected with most of the displaced people being reluctant to move to the designated camp for fear of reprisal attacks. We received a shock when we received a report that a woman who was leaving her hideout to meet us delivered a baby in the bush. Arrangement was made for her treatment and provision of the materials she needed.

Because of the sensitivity and urgency of our assignment, Audu-Bida cut short his oversea assignment and flew to Warri to assess and supervise distributions of additional relief materials to the displayed and distressed people. Some of the women in the camp pleaded with NEMA boss to intervene in ensuring that the Joint Task Force allow them access their remote communities which were blocked by the military. They said that as much as NEMA’s gesture of providing relief materials and social amenities is a welcome development, home to them would always be the home than life in the camp or any other hideout.

He also met Barrister Kingsley Otuaro, the Chairman of the Delta State Relief and Rehabilitation Committee and his members, and held a consultation with the community leaders, including the Chairman of the council George Ekpemupolo, who is said to be a brother to the most wanted man, Chief Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo. George who looked lanky and worried had emerged from his hiding to express his worry on the plight of his people.

Based on the discussions, our team led by NEMA Boss visited the headquarters of Joint Task Force (JTF) to appeal for adequate security for the displaced people as the agency may open up more camps if necessary in areas worst affected by the crisis. He particularly sought the assistance of the task force to guarantee supplies of relief materials to displaced people in various communities and ensured the safety of lives and properties. He said being a retired general in the Air-Force himself, NEMA would not interfere in the mandate and rescue operations of the taskforce in their current mission, he urged them to ensure that innocent victims were not caught in the cross-fire. He stated that the concern of NEMA was not about just distributing the materials but to ensure that the displaced peoples were secured and reunited with their families as soon possible.

The Maritime Component Commander of the Task Force who received the NEMA delegation, Commodore Azubuike Ajuonu, while appreciating the efforts of NEMA in reaching the displaced with relief materials said that the military would not shift its position in the search and rescue operations until they locate the missing officers and men of the Nigerian Army that were abducted by the militants. He added that it was unbecoming and regrettable that Nigerian soldiers who risk their lives to protect the nation’s integrity were being hunted by criminal gangs in the Niger Delta just because the army had been tolerating them all these while. He said the excessive criminality of the youths through kidnapping, sea-pirates, blackmail, extortion and killing of innocent Nigerians and foreigners was embarrassing the nation and its people which must end.

The Task force was later magnanimous enough to concede to NEMA’s request as relief materials were delivered through a special committee comprising journalists, police red cross, SEMA and volunteer women to creeks of Gbaramatu Kingdom, especially in such communities as Opedebobor, Dobiyo, Ogborodo, Azama, Oporoza, Enekoroa, Igoba, Krutie and Kunukuruma. The committee used jetties in the various communities.

The government of Nigeria has shown concerns, including the Office of the Vice President Goodluck Jonathan that supervises NEMA in ensuring that innocent lives are protected and catered for adequately. Unfortunately we cannot verify and authenticate figures of casualties except that of the displaced people, who mostly come to the camp to eat, get relief materials and go out again.

I discovered to my bewilderment beautiful mansions built in the midst of some shanties, which I learnt were owned by individuals, some said including the militants. Warri is a big town, including its surrounding communities that have impressive road networks and other social infrastructures. I learnt contractors for projects in any areas must pay special fees to some leaders and special levies to area boys who behave like militants or the projects that would benefit the community would be abandoned whether mobilisation fees paid or not.

It was not surprising that the name of the most wanted militant is Chief Government Tompolo, because every gunrunner and person in possession or illegal arms in this part of the country here is a government and lord who can charge illegal levies arbitrary. I won’t confirm the alleged complicity of government officials and even some security personnel in making the so-called militants daring combatants by creating reciprocal relationships for selfish motives which now seems to consume the integrity of our nation. I am not authorised to deny baseless allegations or confirmed fictitious figures of casualties and level of destructions. But most of the information in the public domain are naked propaganda which are mostly exaggerated by parties in the conflict.

This article by Yushau A. Shuaib was originally published in Economic Confidential June, New Nigerian June 2, Nigerian Tribune June 7, Vanguard June8, Daily Sun June 9, Daily Independent June 11, Champion June, The National Life June 13 and Leadership June 14, 2009

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