Tompolo’s Alleged Presence A Ruse, Gbaramatu Chief

PHOTO: pulse.ng

• Tompolo’s Alleged Presence A Ruse, Gbaramatu Chief
Not less than five persons were feared dead in a boat mishap on Warri River as many boats conveyed mourners to Kurutie, in Warri South West Local Council, for the burial of Chief Thomas Ekpemupolo, father of wanted Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as “Tompolo.

Ekpemupolo died a fortnight ago, from injuries he allegedly sustained in the hands of officers and men of the Nigerian Army.

However, as the funeral of Chief Ekpemupolo went on, reports that the wanted ex-militant leader attended his father’s burial filtered in, but was later dispelled as a hoax.

The confusion was later trailed to a picture circulated to some journalists via Whatsapp with the caption “Government Ekpemukpolo alias Tompolo with police escorts at his father’s burial yesterday at Gbaramatu,” which showed the wanted ex-militant leader, dressed in all white traditional attire surrounded by hundreds of supporters, alongside two police escorts.

The picture, which was allegedly circulated by Tompolo’s loyalists to make the ex-militant leader look unscathed, was dismissed as false claim.

Said a Gbaramatu chief: “I have spoken to several people who attended the burial and none of them confirmed that Tompolo attended. How can a man who has no police escort attend accompanied by policemen? The picture being circulated is an old picture and not taken at Tompolo’s father’s burial.”