Ex-Militant Tompolo Donates ₦10 Billion to Delta Security Fund, Sparking Praise and Irony Across Nigeria

In a stunning display of influence and philanthropy, Government Ekpemupolo, better known as Tompolo, has announced a ₦10 billion donation to the newly established Delta State Security Trust Fund, inaugurated by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori on October 15, 2025.

The contribution — one of the largest private security donations in Nigerian history — immediately set social media abuzz, reflecting the complex legacy of a man once feared as a militant leader and now celebrated as a regional power broker.

The event, held in Asaba, featured top state officials, traditional rulers, and members of the security community. A video from the ceremony captures Tompolo addressing the audience with calm conviction, urging stakeholders to “show sincerity of purpose” in sustaining peace across the Niger Delta. His remarks, though measured, carried the weight of someone whose past and present embody the paradox of Nigeria’s resource politics — from armed struggle to state partnership.

Tompolo’s immense wealth traces back to his multi-billion-naira federal pipeline surveillance contracts, awarded under the 2009 Presidential Amnesty Programme. Currently commanding surveillance deals reportedly worth ₦35 billion monthly, his private security outfit, Tantita Security Services Limited, has been pivotal in curbing oil theft across the Niger Delta — even as critics question the ethics of empowering former warlords to police state assets.

Online, reactions to the ₦10 billion pledge were both admiring and ironic. Supporters hailed it as a patriotic gesture that could bolster local security and encourage other elites to invest in peacebuilding. “Tompolo is doing more for Delta’s safety than Abuja ever did,” one user wrote. Others, however, pointed to the irony of an ex-militant funding a security initiative meant to prevent the kind of instability he once symbolized. “It’s like hiring the arsonist to fund the fire department,” another user quipped on X.

The broader conversation extends beyond philanthropy — touching on Nigeria’s uneasy balance between power, oil, and accountability. Despite peace in the Delta, unresolved issues around environmental cleanup, resource control, and post-amnesty empowerment continue to simmer beneath the surface. Tompolo’s donation, while monumental, reignites the debate on whether such figures represent redemption or a reminder of the state’s inability to assert full control over its oil-rich heartland.

Still, Governor Oborevwori praised Tompolo’s “uncommon commitment to peace,” framing the donation as a model for public-private cooperation in security management. For many observers, it was a powerful moment — one that blurs the line between old rebels and new guardians of stability in a region whose wealth fuels the nation but whose people have long paid the price.

Watch the video

— BusterBlog.com | Power, Oil & Politics in the Delta