By Our Correspondent
National News – The Niger Delta Ex-Agitators Forum has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other anti-graft agencies to arrest and probe ex-militant leader, Jude Gbaboyor, over alleged sale and theft of Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) properties between 2018 and 2020.
The group said Jude Gbaboyor, ‘a disgraced, corrupt militant,’ has a case to answer to the federal government and people of the Niger Delta on many counts, including the alleged invasion and looting of the PAP complex in Boro Town, Kaiama, in Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State in February 2019.
It alleged that late President Muhammadu Buhari was left with no choice but to sack Prof. Charles Dokubo who trusted dubious characters like Jude Gbaboyor and brought them close to his leadership, unknown to him that they were doing criminal enterprises behind his back.
The group lamented that after all these years, Jude Gbaboyor, loyalist of former militant leader, Ebikabowei Victor Ben, popularly known as Boyloaf, is still living an irresponsible lifestyle; going about fighting against systems in the Niger Delta, especially the ongoing reforms in the amnesty office under the leadership of Dr. Dennis Otuaro.
This is coming after a recent social media post by Jude Gbaboyor claiming that some persons have gone to the White House in the United States of America to call for the sack of Dr. Dennis Otuaro and termination of pipeline surveillance contract awarded to High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo.
The post made by Gbaboyor said, “He (Otuaro) is accused by surviving victims of being an alleged kidnapper, murderer, human trafficker, and financier of terrorism. Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo and Dennis Otuaro are alleged to have operated illegal detention centres, participated in ritual killings, and used human beings as a means of terror. Government Ekpemupolo and Dennis Otuaro’s crimes have left a trail of suffering and fear across Delta State in Nigeria.”
But reacting to this, the Niger Delta Ex-agitators Forum, through its Convener, self-styled General Emmanuel Satu, described the claims as a figment of the imagination of authors of the post.
Satu said Jude Gbaboyor is happy sponsoring and spreading falsehoods against Dr. Dennis Otuaro because the new reforms under his administration are centred on the collective development of all Niger Delta ex-agitators, rather than favouring a few individuals at the detriment of others.
He said, “Jude Gbaboyor was using the Amnesty office as his cocoa farm under the tenure of Professor Charles Dokubo.”
“He was always busy selling Amnesty slots meant for Niger Delta people to northerners and other people who are not from the region. Even education and scholarship slots, Jude Gbaboyor was always selling them to outsiders.”
“That was his trade. Every time you see him, he was either selling something that’s meant for the public and pocketing the money, or he was engineering the theft of PAP properties.”
“You recall what happened in Boro Town in February 2019 where he masterminded the invasion of the Amnesty Complex resulting in the theft of properties worth billions of Naira.”
“Jude Gbaboyor is selfish, he doesn’t think about anybody but himself. During that invasion, countless items were stolen, including installed air-conditioners, furniture, office fittings, starter packs for trainees, equipment for different skills training, electric wires / underground cables, administrative office equipment, employees’ personal belongings, and toilet seats, etc.”
“It is those who don’t know him that will take him seriously. All this hatred against Dr. Dennis Otuaro is because he (Otuaro) did not give him room to do his criminal business in his administration.”
“When Jude Gbaboyor was stealing monies of ex-agitators during the time of Charles Dokubo, did he ever sponsor anything against Dokubo?”
“Instead of him to turn a new leaf so that he can be forgiven his crimes, he has shamelessly gone to bring old pictures and rebrand them to continue his campaign of calumny against Dr. Dennis Otuaro and Tompolo.”
“Let Jude Gbaboyor tell us the names of the people that did the so-called protest he’s talking about.”
Satu said everybody in the Niger Delta is seeing what Dr. Dennis Otuaro is doing in the amnesty office, and that only an enemy of progress like Jude Gbaboyor would be shameless enough to speak against him.
“Engr. Abubakar Momoh, the Honourable Minister of Regional Development in Nigeria, went abroad to confirm what Otuaro is doing, and he was impressed with what he saw. It shows that he’s accounting for the monies being spent on the programme.”
“Before Dr. Otuaro assumed office, some persons treated the Amnesty Programme like a personal enterprise, diverting funds meant for capacity building and development of ex-agitators. But since Dr. Otuaro came on board, he has redirected those resources into training, education, and empowerment of genuine Niger Delta ex-agitators.”
Satu maintained that the reforms introduced by Dr. Otuaro have restored credibility to the programme and ensured that beneficiaries across the Niger Delta are now receiving opportunities previously denied to them.
He noted that Dr. Dennis Otuaro has spent the past two years focusing on consolidating peace, expanding training opportunities for beneficiaries and promoting sustainable development across the Niger Delta.
“We urge the public and international community to disregard these malicious allegations. Dr. Dennis Otuaro remains a committed leader working tirelessly for peace, stability and development of the Niger Delta region.”
“As Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) since March 2024, Dr. Dennis Otuaro has transformed the initiative from a stipend-focused model into a sustainable empowerment, education, and vocational training platform.”
“He has reduced Niger Delta tensions, enhanced security, and secured significant academic and vocational achievements for thousands of beneficiaries.”
“In Educational and Vocational sectors, he successfully deployed over 2,200 students for the 2024/2025 onshore/offshore scholarships. He enabled the training of 40 aircraft maintenance engineers and 4 cadet pilots, with 39 deployed for On-the-Job Training. He has also revitalized maritime training for 98 cadets for Officer of the Watch (OOW) certification.”
“He has achieved a milestone with numerous trainees graduating with first-class and second-class upper divisions.”
“If you talk of Reintegration and Empowerment, Dr. Dennis Otuaro has shifted focus to skill development and business support for ex-agitators, turning beneficiaries into business owners, so we wonder where all this campaign against Otuaro is coming from.”
“It is unfortunate that faceless individuals keep hiding behind faceless groups to fabricate weighty allegations without presenting any verifiable evidence or filing legitimate complaints through appropriate legal channels.”
The Niger Delta Ex-Agitators Forum reaffirmed its confidence in Dr. Otuaro’s leadership of the Presidential Amnesty Programme and commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing him to reposition the initiative.
The Niger Delta Ex-Agitators Forum also defended the pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Tompolo, describing it as a strategic intervention that has drastically reduced crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism across the Niger Delta.
Satu said, “Those calling for termination of the contract are clearly enemies of progress.”
The group also called on security agencies to investigate the source of what it described as false propaganda aimed at tarnishing the image of Niger Delta leaders and destabilizing the region.
Satu emphasized that Niger Delta ex-agitators remain committed to sustaining peace and supporting initiatives that promote development and economic growth in the region.
Efforts to reach Jude Gbaboyor for comment were unsuccessful as of press time.
