A former commander of the defunct Niger Delta Liberation Force (NDLF) has publicly disputed longstanding claims that the late militant leader, John Togo, founded the organisation. Julius Wilson, popularly known as General Mabeke, said the NDLF was established in 2005 by Sobomabo Jackrich, also known as Egberipapa, and not by Togo as widely circulated in online accounts.

In a post shared on his official Facebook page, Wilson described as inaccurate the narrative that credits Togo, who hailed from Ayakoromo in Delta State, with founding the militant group.

“That is not correct,” he said. “It has become necessary to clarify the record so people understand how the NDLF actually started.”

Wilson, who said he was among the early members of the group, recounted events dating back to the mid-2000s during the height of unrest in the Niger Delta region. According to him, he and other associates first engaged Togo during the Itsekiri-Ijaw crisis in Warri before later visiting Jackrich’s camp in Rivers State.

He claimed that during that visit, Jackrich indicated that he had already established a group known as the Niger Delta Liberation Force and had assembled fighters under its banner.

Wilson further alleged that Jackrich provided logistical support and declared Togo second-in-command of the group, rather than its leader. He questioned accounts suggesting that Togo founded the organisation in 2005, arguing that some individuals associated with the group were incarcerated at the time.

“The question is, as at 2005 when the NDLF was founded, we were all locked up in Okere Prison. Does it mean it was founded while in prison without my knowledge?

“So no one should come online to dispense false stories they know nothing about. The defunct Niger Delta Liberation Force was founded by High Chief Egberipapa,” Mabeke said.

His account adds a new dimension to the complex history of militancy in the Niger Delta, where several groups emerged in the early 2000s to agitate for resource control and greater development of the oil-rich region.

The NDLF emerged during a period of intense militancy in the Niger Delta, when several armed groups formed to demand greater control of oil resources and improved development in the region. One of the most prominent umbrella movements of that era was the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which coordinated attacks on oil installations and security forces in the early 2000s.

The late John Togo was killed in May 2011 during a military operation conducted by the Joint Task Force. His death marked a significant moment in the decline of some militant activities in Delta State.

Jackrich has since transitioned from militancy to politics and community development, founding the Rivers Grassroots Movement (RGM) in 2024. He has also been commended on numerous occasions for his commitment to good governance and development in Rivers State and the Niger Delta region.