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A coalition of stakeholders and youth groups from Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, on Sunday, described the meeting between former President Goodluck Jonathan and Mr Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, as “deceptive.”
The coalition faulted Mr Tompolo over his recent visit to the state and the secret meeting with ex-President Jonathan, saying that something fishy is going on which the Federal Government needs to pay attention to.
The group said claims by both individuals that the secret meeting was meant to deliberate on issues relating to security and peace in the Niger Delta are entirely deceptive and provocative because of the nature of persons involved.
In a statement on Sunday, the coalition of youths, including the Southern Ijaw Unity Forum, the SILGA United Voices for Peace, One Southern Ijaw Agenda, and the Indigenous Movement for SILGA Development, acknowledged that freedom of movement is a fundamental human right under the 1999 Constitution, but noted that Tompolo’s visit to Bayelsa on the 17th of October, 2025 signalled provocative political interests capable of fueling political crisis in the state.
The group said that there is the urgent need for proactive security intervention.
The statement was jointly signed by Comrade Timothy Amadiowei, Mrs Victoria Elijah, Chief Thompson Kurobo and Josiah Apoi on behalf of their various groups.
They said it is very sad that former President Goodluck Jonathan is talking about security and peace in the Niger Delta whereas scores of persons were massacred in Igbomotoru Community in Southern Ijaw on March 27, 2024 with no word or statement from him on how to address such a genocide that happened in his own state.
They said, not only did the former President pay no attention to the killings, but he also failed to call those who masterminded the massacre to order.
According to them, Jonathan knows the level of bitterness, tension and rift the March 27 2024 incident has created in the Niger Delta among different parties from the Ijaw struggle platform, but he failed to broker peace among them, and even when the incident degenerated to blackmails, witch-hunts and victimisation in which stakeholders were accused of crimes they knew nothing about so that they could be nailed, the former President did nothing.
They said when people’s houses were being burnt down and others forced to flee their homes, the former President said nothing, but sadly enough, he is now telling the world that the secret meeting was about peace and security when he has neglected to call aggrieved stakeholders to broker peace.
“The massacre of over 80 persons in Igbomotoru Community on the 27th of March, 2024 still remains fresh in the minds of Bayelsans and the international scene.
“Properties worth billions of Naira were wantonly destroyed during the Igbomotoru raid allegedly masterminded by surveillance contractors because of political interests and nobody said anything about it.
“Jonathan is talking about peace when he’s aware of the atrocities committed across the Ijaw nation by pipeline surveillance contractors – what peace efforts has he made to reach out to stakeholders offended by these surveillance contractors?
“Families are still mourning the massacre of over 80 people in Igbomotoru and Jonathan did not say anything about it. Are they not Bayelsans, are they not Nigerians? This secret meeting on peace and security in the Niger Delta is deceptive.
“Many youths are being owed salaries by pipeline surveillance contractors running into several months with no indication that they will be paid, after putting their lives on the line to protect oil and gas facilities in the state, yet the former president has not used his position as a father to intervene,” they said.
They said a company owned by the surveillance contractor had not pay salaries of those it disengaged from service owing to political differences arising from the 2023 Bayelsa State Governorship elections and nobody said anything about it.
The coalition of youths urged President Bola Tinubu to be alert and not allow himself to be deceived by anybody, saying there’s a political undertone to Tompolo’s visit.
They said they are not comfortable with the fact that surveillance contractors from other regions are teleguiding the affairs of Bayelsa State by orchestrating chaos and crisis; while keeping their own communities and regions peaceful and developed.
They called on Bayelsans to maintain peace and be law-abiding during this political maneuvering by desperate politicians.
