Oil theft controversy: Ex-MEND scribe survives alleged police attempt to kidnap him

… MSDND urges on IGP to investigate

Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa

Former Secretary General of the defunct Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Comrade Jude Gbaboyor has raised the alarm over an alleged attempt by some police personnel attached to the Tantita Surveillance Security Company to kidnap him at his residence in Abuja over comments defending the Nigerian Navy on alleged involvement in oil theft.

According to Gbaboyor, policemen, numbering six, invaded the residential area where he lives in Abuja to secretly arrest and abduct him without a warrant of arrest and evidence of charges against him but the illegal attempt was thwarted by security personnel in the area.

Gbaboyor, in a statement issued on Friday, alleged that the attempted kidnap and assassination were allegedly carried out at his residence in Abuja by persons in civilian clothes with weapons claiming to be police officers attached to Tantita Security Services Limited from the Bayelsa State Police Command.

According to him. “The Security officials at Comrade Jude Gbaboyor ’s residence in Abuja, who were identified to be on an illegal duty without valid identification card and arrest warrants, were forced to make a retreat following altercations caused neighbours and passers-by to surround the alleged officers, who later fled the scene for fear of being held by the residence’s security officers as police impersonators, kidnappers and assassins.

“Upon realising that their illegal plans and activities had been ousted, those alleged police officers went to the Police Command in Abuja to make false reports against Comrade Jude Gbaboyor to cover their tracks.

“Preliminary findings later showed that the police officers had been tracking Comrade Jude Gbaboyor ’s residence for some days following Comrade Gbaboyor ’s warning on social media against Mr. Government Ekpomupolo also known as Tompolo for defaming Nigeria’s security forces and accusing the Navy and other security officials of being engaged in crude oil theft.”

“Mr Government Ekpomupolo also known as Tompolo had on multiple occasions accused the Nigeria Navy and Security officials of being engaged in crude oil theft for which Comrade Gbaboyor responded by claiming that it was Tompolo and senior officials at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) that are allegedly engaged in the crude oil theft that bleeds the nation of over USD 1.9 billion per month totalling over $22 billion per year according to Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), NNPC Limited on August 9, 2022, he said.”

Meanwhile, the Niger Delta group, the Movement for the Sustainable Development of the Niger Delta (MSDND) has condemned the alleged attempt to assassinate the former Secretary General of the defunct MEND, Akpodubakaye over his recent comments against cases of crude oil theft in the region.

According to the MSDND, through its Publicity Secretary, Kelvin Orughoe, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun should launch an investigation into the attempt to abduct Comrade Jude Gbaboyor and arrest police officers involved in the incident.

According to MSDND, the failed attempts on the life of Comrade Jude Gbaboyor showed a case of double standard and an attempt to stop others from expressing their opinion, “While Tompolo slammed the Nigerian Navy over its alleged involvement in oil theft, it was well celebrated and covered, but when Comrade Jude Gbaboyor defended the Nigerian Navy and revealed obvious facts involved in cases of oil theft in the region, policemen wanted to kidnap and possibly kill him.”

“It’s not fair and we are calling on President Bola Tinubu, the Inspector-General of Police and other security agencies to launch an investigation into these developments.

“It is perthitic for senior officials at the NNPCL to use some individuals as a front and mouthpiece in their propaganda against the largest Naval force in Africa.

“Comrade Gbaboyor seems to be more determined and focused than ever to defend our nation’s Navy and other security agencies from Tompolo’s false and baseless claims that the Navy is the perpetrator of crude oil theft,” the group noted.

Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi’s telephone line rang out when our correspondent called his telephone number to ascertain if the men were members of the Nigeria Police Force or not.

He did not also respond to text messages that were sent to his telephone number.