According to Ijaw Youth Council, the
prosecution of Tompolo is singling out their
ethnic group.
According to the group, the prosecution of
Tompolo, which is a part of Buhari’s anti-
corruption war, is singling out their ethnic
group.
Speaking with journalists, Eric Omare, the
spokesman of IYC, said:
“Our position is that due process should be
followed. We support an anti-corruption war
that is done within the ambit of the law.
“We seriously oppose selective prosecution
and political victimisation.”
Last week, suspected ex-militants reportedly
blew up a gas pipeline in Warri South-West
local government of Delta state. The attack
happened barely hours after a Federal High
Court in Lagos ordered security operatives to
arrest Tompolo.
Commenting on the incident, Omare stressed
that the IYC condemned such vandalism.
However, he also claimed that the military
had invaded several Ijaw communities in
Delta state, destroying properties and
causing injuries.
“The Ijaw people are not at war with the
federal government. We call on the military
to exercise restraint in their actions. There is
no basis to attack innocent villagers,” he
said.
Ramsey Mukoro, another former militant
leader, added: “None of us is happy with
what is happening to Tompolo and other
Ijaw people who served under Jonathan. It is
a tribal witch-hunt.”
PM News reports that residents of the
Southern Ijaw region of Bayelsa state are
worried that prosecution of Tompolo and
others could influence people to disobey
lawful orders.
Ebi Hitler, an Ijaw resident in Yenagoa, is
also warned of a return to insecurity, which
severely dented Nigeria’s crude output.
“What is currently going on is not prosection
but persecution of Ijaws. It is very
provocative and the government should
realise that there is a limit to everything,” he
said.
Earlier this week, the Niger Deltan Patriotic
Alliance warned the federal government and
the All Progressives Congress to desist from
what it called “the harassment” of Tompolo .
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