…protesters call out BoyLoaf, Shoot at Sight for smear campaign
A coalition of Niger Delta youths under the aegis of Amnesty Phase 1,2,3 Concerned Niger Delta Youths has condemned what it describes as a calculated smear campaign against High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, Tompolo, Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dr. Dennis Brutu Otuaro, and High Chief Kestin Pondi of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited.
Recall in a recent video anchored by Kestly Agama who alleged that Administrator of the Niger Delta Presidential Amnesty Program, Dr. Dennis Otuaro, was accused of misappropriating ₦58 billion and refusing EFCC summons. Protests erupted in US, UK, EU , demanding his removal. High Chief Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo) was also accused of diverting amnesty funds and using security forces for extrajudicial killings.
In the video there was calls for U.S. President Donald Trump to halt dealings with Nigeria until President Bola Ahmed Tinubu acted. NNPC GMD Kele Kiari was also linked to alleged funding of illicit activities in the Niger Delta.
Speaking on behalf of the group during a press conference on Saturday, in Abuja, Ex-agitator and Phase 3 leader Emmanuel Satu, accused a former militant leader, Ben Ebikabowei Victor, BoyLoaf, Bibopere Azube aka General Shoot at sight and his cohorts were unhappy with the success of Tompolo’s security outfit, Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, which had reduced oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the region.
The youths alleged that recent protests against Tompolo and Dr. Otuaro in Nigeria and abroad were the handiwork of individuals desperate to regain control of illegal oil bunkering operations.
“We want the international community to know that the protests staged within and outside Nigeria, particularly in the United States, were part of an evil and wicked plot orchestrated by unpatriotic elements,” the group said.
They singled out ex-militant leaders Ben Ebikabowei Victor, popularly known as BoyLoaf, and Bibopere Azube, aka General Shoot at Sight, as the masterminds behind the allegations.
“These individuals, whose livelihoods depended on illegal oil bunkering, are behind the false narratives being spread against Tompolo, Dr. Dennis Otuaro, and Tantita Security Services,” the group alleged.
According to the youths, the appointment of Tompolo’s firm, Tantita Security Services, to handle pipeline surveillance, and the selection of Dr. Otuaro as Amnesty Programme Administrator did not sit well with those previously benefitting from unchecked oil theft.
“Their frustration is simple – since Tantita took over pipeline surveillance, oil theft has been drastically reduced, and their illicit business is no longer thriving,” the group stated.
They noted that oil production in the Niger Delta had surged since Tantita’s contract began. “Nigeria’s crude oil production has increased from 1.2 million barrels per day to 1.8 million barrels per day. This success has made oil thieves very unhappy,” they added.
The youth leaders dismissed allegations of corruption, kidnapping, and mismanagement leveled against Tompolo and Dr. Otuaro as “baseless, malicious, and driven by envy.”
“The international community should disregard these false claims. They are the figment of the imagination of BoyLoaf, Shoot at Sight, and their cohorts,” they declared.
The group also accused a former Amnesty Office staffer, Jude Gbaboyor, of being part of the online smear campaign. “Jude Gbaboyor was sacked for corruption. After failing to get reinstated, he took to social media to spread falsehoods on behalf of his paymasters,” they alleged.
As part of their demands, the Niger Delta youths urged the United States, the United Kingdom, and the United Nations to impose a visa ban on BoyLoaf, Shoot at Sight, and their associates.
“These individuals pose a threat to the peace and security of the Niger Delta. We urge the international community to place sanctions on them,” they said.
The youths further called on the Federal Government to sustain its support for Tompolo and Dr. Otuaro, emphasizing that their work has brought stability and economic growth to the region.
“The Amnesty Programme is now functioning as it should. Beneficiaries are receiving their stipends regularly, and transparency has been restored. We urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to continue supporting these initiatives,” they said.
Also speaking, National Vice Chairman of the Amnesty Programme, Alhaji Letugbene, condemned the ongoing crisis in the Niger Delta, stating that efforts to destabilize the region must be stopped.
“The issues we are having in Niger Delta, this nonsense act has to be stopped because at least we are in oneness in our region,” he said.
He defended the leadership of Dennis Otuaro, highlighting his achievements since assuming office.
“Otuaro since he assumed office, by the grace of God, has deployed 2,500 students to higher institutions and trained about 100 students in the marine academy. He has also cleared stipends owed for more than two years,” Letugbene stated.
Letugbene further credited Tompolo and Tantita Security Services for maintaining stability in the region.
“The peace we are enjoying today is because of Tompolo. The Nigerian government knows that with Tompolo and Tantita Security Services, the economy is stable, and illegal bunkering has been stopped,” he added.
