Ex-militant Leader Tompolo Acquires Six Warships

I just hope this is what it is, especially now that we are months to the general elections. A former Niger Delta militant leader, Mr. Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, is said to have bought seven decommissioned Norwegian battleships.

Reports by a Norwegian newspaper, Dagbladet, said that the fast-speed Hauk-class guided missile boats had been re-armed with new weaponry.

The report also revealed that Ekpemupolo’s most recent purchase is a

KNM Horten, a fast-attack craft now used in fighting piracy in Nigeria’s waterways.
According to the report by Punch, it was learnt that in spite of his alleged history of violence, Tompolo, now controls the Global West Vessel Service, a privately owned contractor for maritime security for the Nigerian Maritime Safety Agency.

Buying arms from Norway requires an export license from Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ships were reportedly sold first to CAS Global, a British security company that has such a license, after which Tompolo reportedly bought the ships from the British company.

Dagblade reported that the seven Norwegian ships are now part of the company’s maritime fleet patrolling the water ways under a contract for the Federal Government of Nigeria.