TheCable

Government Ekpemupolo, an ex-militant leader popularly known as Tompolo, says he is yet to receive the summons of the federal high court in Lagos, which threatened to order his arrest if he does not appear before it on Thursday.

The court’s summons is in connection with allegations of fraudulent land contracts for the construction of Nigerian Maritime University.

Alongside Patrick Akpobolokemi, former director-general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed a 40-count charge of N13bn fraud against Tompolo.

On Wednesday, the anti-graft agency, which had earlier invited the former commander of the Movement of the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) for questioning, said it was ready to arraign Tompolo and Akpobolokemi, who is already in custody.

Responding to inquiries from TheCable on the threat to arrest him if he does not appear in court, Paul Bebenibo, spokesman of the ex-militant leader, said the court summons had not been served.

“We have not seen the court summons, but there is no problem as long as the Nigerian judiciary is working,” he said.

In December, Tomopolo raised an alarm that the federal government was witch-hunting him for refusing to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).