A Federal High Court in Lagos has received an application from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission- requesting for an order to seize assets belonging to a former Niger Delta militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo.
The EFCC says it intends to seize Tompolo’s assets until he appears before the court to answer charges of N45.9bn fraud preferred against him.
The anti-graft agency had filed a 40-count charge against Tompolo, the immediate-past Director-General of NIMASA, Patrick Akpobolokemi and eight others.
The suspects were accused of diverting and converting- the sum of N34bn and N11.9bn belonging to NIMASA- to their personal use
Following Tompolo’s refusal to appear before the court and the failure of security agencies to facilitate his arrest, EFCC lawyer, Fetus Keyamo, on Thursday, February 18, filed the application to seize his assets- pursuant to sections 80 and 81 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.
One of Tompolo’s assets which the EFCC intends to seize is his house in No. 1, Chief Agbamu Close DDPA Extension Warri (Effurun), Delta State.
The other assets are Mieka Dive Ltd.; Mieka Dive Training Institute Ltd.; Global West Vessel Specialist Ltd.; Muhaabix Global Services Ltd.; a River Crew Change Boat named MUHA -15; “Tompolo Dockyard,” “Tompolo Yard,” the Diving School at Kurutie, at Escravos River; “Tompolo House” at Oporaza Town, opposite the Palace.
The five-paragraph affidavit filed in support of the application, stated that: “That since the issuance of the warrant of arrest, the 1st accused person has absconded and concealed himself from all security forces in the country to frustrate the execution of the warrant of arrest.
“That rather than present himself to the court, the 1st accused person engaged the services of Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), who filed a motion dated 27th day of January, 2016 to set aside the warrant of arrest. The said motion was dismissed on the 8th day of February, 2016.
“That since the order for the arrest of the 1st accused person, the combined team of the Nigeria police and the military have been combing the creeks and the entire nation for the arrest of the 1st accused person, but he continues to abscond and conceal himself.”
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