Metro
Tompolo’s father dies after amputation caused by alleged military brutality
High Chief Thomas Osen Ekpemupolo, 84-year-old father of ex-militant leader, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo is dead.
His leg was amputated in July as a result of alleged brutality by Nigerian soldiers in Kurutie, Warri South-West Local Government Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta State.
Ekpemupolo is learnt to have died in the early hours of Wednesday at Lily Hospital in his local government.
He was the Tunteriwei of Gbaramatu kingdom, Warri South-West LGA with traditional headquarters in Oporoza.
Recall that Tompolo, who is still on the run, had in an open letter on July 22, to President Muhammadu Buhari, decried the siege on his family.
He had then alleged that on May 28, “The military went to Kurutie Town in search of my 84- year-old father and brutalized him. We managed to rescue him to Warri and hospitalised him. Sadly, one of his lower limbs was amputated two weeks ago. From the doctor’s report, it will be a thing of miracle if he survives this incident.
“Is this 84-years old man also a member of the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA.?” Tompolo had asked in the letter to President Buhari.
Read also: Tompolo to Buhari: Your soldiers caused amputation of my father’s leg
It is not yet clear if the old man died as a result of the alleged brutality by the Nigerian soldiers.
However, spokesperson of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Eric Omare, who said that the news of his death was received with shock, describing it as unfortunate and painful, alleged that he died suffering from the injuries sustained while running from military rampage on Kurutie community, Gbaramatu Kingdom , early this year.
According to Omare, Chief Ekpemupolo is a victim of military unlawful invasion of innocent people and communities of the Niger Delta region in the name of looking for militants.
Adding that Chief Ekpemupolo had paid the supreme price for the Niger Delta people and cause, he noted that, while IYC sympathises with the family, the Gbaramatu Kingdom and the Ijaw nation on the untimely death, the struggle for the betterment of the Niger Delta people continues.
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