Tompolo Breaks Silence After Warri Delineation Tensions Threaten Oborevwori’s Peace Truce

Chairman of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, has called for calm and a peaceful resolution of the Warri Federal Constituency ward delineation dispute, while convening an emergency meeting of community leaders to chart a way forward.

Tompolo’s intervention came late Tuesday, amid escalating tensions that threatened a fragile peace accord brokered by Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori during a stakeholders’ meeting in Asaba, involving Ijaw, Itsekiri and Urhobo leaders.

The call for peace followed fresh protests at the Olero field, by protesting Ijaw women, despite Governor Oborevwori’s meeting with constituency stakeholders and top security chiefs on Monday, aimed at de-escalating the crisis.

Hours after the meeting, women from Egbema Kingdom in Warri North LGA reportedly occupied the Olero oil field, in a peaceful protest.

The development reportedly prompted members of the Itsekiri ethnic group to occupy the Chevron tank farm at Ugborodo in Warri South-West, raising fears of a wider breakdown of order.

The latest actions appeared to have violated the ceasefire understanding reached at the Asaba peace meeting, where stakeholders agreed to suspend protests and allow the governor, relevant authorities and community leaders to seek lasting solution to the delineation dispute.

Notably, the Urhobo bloc of the constituency has so far adhered to the peace pact, refraining from any protest action while awaiting the outcome of ongoing engagements.

Stakeholders believe a follow up message from APC chieftain, Ayiri Emami and Hon. Michael Diden aka Ejele and Victor Okumagba immediately after the meeting with the Governor was instrumental to both Itsekiri and Urhobo youth’s adherence to the peace accord whereas Tompolo’s body language may have signaled his kinsmen’s breach of the accord through series of coordinated protests in Warri North and Warri South-West.

But in a statement issued Tuesday night from Oporoza, Gbaramatu Kingdom, Tompolo urged all parties to embrace dialogue and avoid actions capable of inflaming tensions.

“The current political situation arising from the failure of INEC to complete the delineation of wards in the Warri Federal Constituency and mass action must not be allowed to be hijacked or degenerate into violence,” he said.