The Nigerian Government and security agencies have continuously battled insecurity in the Niger Delta region for over two decades. In 2008/2009 the administration of Late President Umar Musa Yaradua granted amnesty to armed agitators who had confronted the Nigerian State over control of oil excavation and revenue, which according to them had left their environment degraded and their means of livelihood taken away.
A significant number of armed agitators surrendered a large cache of arms and ammunition to the Nigerian Government leading to the return of peace and an improvement in the oil figures and National revenue. Reports by concern Nigeria Deltans, including the anonymous “CreekMan” of “Creekeye News” have shown what seems to be a return of some agitators who are unknown to those who accepted amnesty.
These reports further showed that in 2022 a group surfaced and threatened to blow up pipelines and other government assets in the Niger Delta, alleging their exclusion from the oil pipeline protection contract.
According to the reports which security agencies are yet to confirm its authenticity, the group identified themselves as “Border Boys” and specifically called out big shots like Mele Kyari and Adokiye Tombomieye, the Group Managing Director and the Group Executive Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd respectively.
Investigations from sources familiar with the events who have pleaded anonymity revealed heightened level of worry and concern that security forces have been unable to trace and track the people who made those threats. They also expressed concern that a huge sum was reportedly released by NNPC Ltd allegedly to the tune of about N3 Billion to settle the resurgence. If so, who were the funds given to?
Even though Mr Adokiye Tombomieye retired from NNPC in 2021 as Executive Vice President, Upstream, he has been described by several reports publish online as the man who does ‘the “dirty” job of keeping the opponents at bay”, ‘while operating “silently” behind the scenes’. Despite the huge releases, nobody has been identified to be behind the resurgence.
Sources familiar with the development fingered Tombomieye as the “man behind the scene” and mastermind of the group’s creation to embezzle funds and not to address the threat that the resurgence of such groups posses.
As part of efforts aimed at sustaining peace across the Niger Delta region, security agencies should immediately invite Mr Adokiye Tombomieye for questioning to identify those NNPC disbursed those hug sums of monies to and why security agencies are yet to apprehend anyone in connection.
The successes in identifying and blocking leakages in the crude oil pipeline transportation channels can be replicated in fishing out those behind the resurgence of these group, by engaging Ex-Agitators to work with the security agencies in order to nip the problem in the board. Mr Adokiye Tombomieye has been linked to several illegal activities such as illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta region.
Reports available to CreekMan has shown that there are illegal oil bunkering activities ongoing in the Niger Delta, urging security agencies to visit Bille Community where Mr Adokiye Tombomieye comes from, where there are illegal vessels loading every night. President Tunubu Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) who means well for reforms in the oil sector and Niger Deltans should ask Mr Tombomieye to reveal the identity of those responsible for the loading of illegal vessels in his community.
