The Nigerian Ethnic Nations Congress (NENCO) has cautioned against politicising the recent arrest of a suspect linked to illicit arms in Delta State, accusing some Ijaw groups of attempting to divert attention from alleged arms proliferation in the region.
In a statement signed by Dr. Irene Ene Bassey, NENCO claimed that certain Ijaw factions are preparing for conflict, citing long-standing tensions over political and economic marginalisation. The group warned of rising unrest in Warri and the wider Niger Delta, recalling violent clashes between Ijaw and Itsekiri communities 25 years ago.
NENCO accused Ijaw militants, particularly Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo), of amassing weapons and intimidating neighbouring ethnic groups. The statement alleged:
Tompolo has been “importing arms into the Niger Delta in large numbers for over a decade.”
His fighters operate “personal detention camps” and carry out extrajudicial killings.
Other ethnic groups, including some Ijaw communities in Rivers, Ondo, and Bayelsa, reportedly fear his influence.
The group criticised the Nigerian government for allegedly empowering Tompolo through pipeline security contracts while ignoring complaints about his activities.
NENCO urged security forces to focus on a “large-scale mop-up” of illegal weapons rather than treating the recent arrest as an isolated case. It dismissed claims that the Itsekiri were aggressors, calling such narratives a “setup to justify planned Ijaw attacks.”
The statement also condemned attempts to “blackmail” the Olu of Warri, the traditional Itsekiri monarch, into being framed as instigators.
The coalition warned that without intervention, the region risks a return to full-blown conflict, with smaller ethnic groups “desperately seeking self-preservation.” Authorities have yet to respond to the allegations.
