EFCC Invites Tompolo Over NIMASA University Land Scam

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Thursday invited former Niger Delta military, Chief Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo) over N13bn Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) university land scam.


Sources said the EFCC invited Ekpemupolo (Tompolo) to its zonal office in Port Harcourt.
Although details about the invitation were not made known, sources said it was not unconnected with the N13 billion payment by Akpobolekeimi’s NIMASA to Tompolo.

The invitation letter, Nations reports was delivered to Tompolo’s resident in the exclusive Delta Estate in Warri, yesterday afternoon.
It was learnt the commission could declare the former Niger Delta militant leader wanted should he fail to honour the invitation.

An EFCC source conversant with the matter, said:

“After the first invitation, Tompolo did not show up; he said he was unavailable and sent his legal adviser to our office. This time we have sent another invitation to him to appear next Thursday (December 17) unfailingly, if he fails to turn up we will have to declare him wanted.”

The first invitation referred to above was a letter dated November 18, signed by Iliyasu Kwarbai, head of EFCC Operations in Lagos and titled: ‘Investigation Activities, Letter of Invitation’.

It reads: 

“The commission is investigating a case in which your (Tompolo’s) name featured.
“In view of the above you are requested to kindly report for an interview with the undersigned through the team leader.”

Although the interview was fixed for 10 am at the EFCC Training Room, 15 Awolowo Road on November 25, it did not hold because Tompolo did not show up.

Another letter was delivered to Tompolo’s home at DDPA extension Effurun-Warri by the commission’s operatives.

The letter was received on his behalf by Jackson Edah.

A copy of the letter obtained last night in Lagos, stated:

“We refer to our letter CR 3000/EFCC/CTG/TF/STF/VOL7/472 dated 18th November 18, which was acknowledged in your home, but did not report.”
“We have petitions from various sources about how the land acquisition was done and the exorbitant fee paid by the former DG and Tompolo.
“The focus of this investigation is to find out if the N13 billion was disbursed to owners of the land said to be members of Okerenkoko and Omadino communities
“Also, we are interested in ascertaining how the compensation of that magnitude was arrived at considering the location and the site acquired for the land.
“There are also insinuations and allegations that the documents presented for the acquisition were forged because of the dispute over ownership of some of the land,” the EFCC said in Abuja.

EFCC’s spokesman Osita Nwajah confirmed the invitation but declined to give details last night.