Police nab naval officer, two others for looting from Tompolo’s seized property

A team of policemen from the ‘A’ Division in Warri on Sunday night arrested a naval personnel, Lance Corporal Usman Shaibu and two others for allegedly stealing and attempting to remove an electric transformer from the property of ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, a.k.a. Tompolo.

The naval officer was a member of the guards watching over Tompolo’s jetty near the Chevron Clinic in Edjeba, Warri South Council, Delta State, which was allegedly seized by the Federal Government in 2016.

Shaibu, alongside the driver of a Mercedes Benz self-loader, Okugbe Lucky and his conductor, Chime Chukwuka, were arrested while removing the looted items from the ex-militant leader’s property.

It was learnt that two other naval personnel, Staff Sergeant P O Ekon and Sergeant L S Elijah, who were allegedly involved in the criminal act escaped and are still on the run.

Shaibu with two of his colleagues on guard duty at the jetty were rounded up by the police based on credible information that they were stealing items from the yard to sell to unknown buyers.

According to the police, the men had successfully removed the transformer with the self-loader and were rounded up at the point of leaving the yard by the policemen on standby.

The operation, led by CSP Kelvin Zuokumor, has mounted an intensive search for the fleeing naval personnel, whom he said would be prosecuted in accordance with stipulated laws.

During interrogation, Shaibu allegedly confessed to have committed the crime.

He also disclosed the names of his fleeing colleagues and revealed that they were going to sell the stolen transformer N700,000.