Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo) has asked the Federal Government to order the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to release his jetty, which is operated by his firm, Mieka Dive Limited, in Warri, Delta State.
About 50 Ijaw youths protested around the jetty on Wednesday, demanding the release of the property to Tompolo.
Some of the placards the protesters carried read: ‘No work for us since 2016’, ‘EFCC vacate our site’ and ‘This is democracy’, and ‘obey the rule of law’. The jetty was among the properties belonging to Tompolo and allegedly seized by the EFCC in the wake of charges that were brought against him in court about five years ago.
A Federal High court recently quashed the charges.
Ekpemupolo in his speech which was circulated to newsmen during the protest, also demanded that he be compensated for valuables allegedly stolen at the jetty.
He said, “after nearly five years of malicious prosecution by the EFCC and its henchmen on trumped up allegations, I was vindicated by God and the prayers of all our well-wishers.
“On the 15 of July, 2020, the law vindicated me and the Federal High Court threw out all the charges against me that I have no case to answer. Since then I have made several efforts to reach the government agencies, particularly the EFCC to return my looted properties back to me. My peaceful efforts have so far been unsuccessful.
“Let Nigerians note that today, more than five months after the court vindicated me by quashing all charges of corruption levelled against me, the Nigerian state through the EFCC has refused to return my property unlawfully taken from me under those charges.”
“Our demands are simple, return the properties confiscated, starting with this jetty where we now stand. And return all our other properties and pay compensation for the ones that were looted,” he added.
