The news of the shocking death of the former Governor of Bayelsa State
Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha broke in the afternoon of October 10, 2015.
From available records, Alamieyeseigha would have been 63 in a month
time, specifically on the 14th of November this year. In a country
where life expectancy stands at less than 55 years, according to the
most recent World Health statistics, one could still say that at 63
the former governor would be counted lucky, especially realizing the
fact that this world is not a permanent abode for any mortal.
Even then his sudden death has raised questions on whether
Alamieyeseigha died a natural death or whether he was unduly hounded
out of this world as a result of the actions or inactions of some
powerful individuals or authorities.
Perhaps a short historical account will help us out. In 2005, some
state governors were suspected to be working with then Vice President
Atiku Abubakar against the re-election ambition of President Obasanjo.
Even without properly investigating this allegation, the Nuhu
Ribadu-led Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) was
viciously deployed to cage them. Pronto, charges of corruption were
trumped up against the governors and some of them got impeached under
strange circumstances. Later the courts were to pronounce their
innocence and annul the impeachment, as a demonstration of the fact
that any action anchored on injustice would ultimately suffer a
reversal. It is instructive that many of the governors who were then
dubiously removed from office like Senator Joshua Dariye, Senator
Chris Ngige, and Governor Ayodele Fayose are all back to reckoning
today, occupying important positions of trust in the nation.
In the case of Alamieyeseigha, Obasanjo laboured to do him in without
success. He therefore leveraged his contacts in the United Kingdom
Government to put him under watch, after giving him a bad name. This
subsequently resulted in Alamieseigha arrest in London on charges of
money laundering.
Expectedly, prosecuting Alamieyeseigha became a difficult task even
for the UK authorities as they searched his home repeatedly only to
realise less than 70, 000 pounds, for which they laboured to find a
section of their law under which he was charged to court.
For some strange and inexplicable reasons, Alamieyeseigha jumped bail
and returned to Nigeria. Still towing a vindictive path, Obasanjo
obligated the helpless Bayelsa State House of Assembly to impeach him.
His phony reason was that since he jumped bail in the UK, he had
become a fugitive unworthy of holding public office. Alamieyeseigha
was subsequently arrested by Ribadu EFCC. Curiously, the British
authorities did not request for the extradition of Alamieyeseigha to
continue his trial throughout the period he was being detained by the
anti-corruption body. Eventually, he was prosecuted by the EFCC and,
following a plea bargain, he was released after spending several years
with the EFCC.
The claim that former President Jonathan protected him is in deed
preposterous and a non issue. The whole of 2006 up to mid 2007 that
Alamieyeseigha was with the EFCC, Jonathan was still the Governor of
Bayelsa State with no control of Federal Government agencies. Even
when Jonathan came to Abuja, he was the Vice President from mid 2007
to 2010 thus could not have prevented the Federal Government Agencies
from extraditing Alamieyeseigha if ever the United Kingdom wanted him.
It is curious that 10 years after, the UK authorities now wanted
Alamieyeseigha extradited as claimed by Prof. Itse Sagay, SAN. I am
not a lawyer and will not dwell on the merit of the law, but I know
that certainly, criminal offences are not statute barred. I don’t want
any lawyer including Itse Sagay who is now heading a Presidential
Committee on Anti-corruption to teach me the laws of criminal justice.
However, clearly ,there are social and ethical questions we need to
address:
If Alamieyeseigha had a strong case of money laundering why was it
that the UK authorities never asked for his extradition when he
returned to Nigeria, especially all that time that he was being
detained by the EFCC?
If he did in deed jump bail as alleged, why was it that the UK
authorities did not ask the EFCC to send him back to the UK to face
the law?
If he actually smuggled himself out of detention in the UK as was
purported, how come no UK official was either queried or punished for
negligence and laxity? I am not aware that the UK authorities ever
investigated the escape of such high profile detainee from prison!
Why would the UK suddenly develop interest in reopening
Alamieyeseigha money laundering case for a figure not exceeding 70,
000 pounds, and demanding his extradition, ten years later? And that
is coming after he had been duly jailed by a court of competent
jurisdiction in Nigeria and subsequently obtained Presidential pardon?
Not many knew that Alamieyeseigha was recently in Dubai for treatment
when Sagay raised the issue of Alamieyeseigha likely extradition to
the UK for trial. The former Governor had to abandon his treatment and
hurriedly returned to Nigeria to face his plight. The narrative of
this move and the attendant celebration and unsolicited facilitation
in certain quarters back home in Nigeria, is a story for another day,
especially as the hunted has gone to the great beyond. The UK may not
be interested in his corpse for obvious reasons, but the question is
who is really interested in Alamieyeseigha incarceration.
It is no longer in doubt that his romance in 2005 with Vice President
Atiku Abubakar became his original sin, as he himself revealed in a
recent newspaper interview. It is therefore not strange that former
President Obasanjo attack dogs went after him.
It is instructive that lately, Alamieyeseigha had been in the news.
During the declaration of a second term-seeking Governor Seriake
Dickson, as the PDP aspirant for the Bayelsa Governorship race, the
former governor made statements that may have been considered
provocative to some people. He also granted newspaper interviews where
he spoke on issues that might not have gone down well with some
powerful people.
While reacting to the news of his passage, Governor AyodeleFayose of
Ekiti state accused the APC-led federal government of hounding
Alamieyeseigha to his death, because of his strong support for the
Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate in the Bayelsa state
forthcoming gubernatorial election.
He had said: Obviously, the Federal Government was behind the plot to
extradite the Alamieyeseigha to the United Kingdom to face fresh
trial, a situation that made him to abandon his medical treatment in
Dubai.
Even though I am not against anti-corruption fight, it is painful
that in the present day Nigeria, political vendetta is being allowed
to override the sovereignty of the country…. Having been tried and
convicted eight years ago, served his sentence and forfeited
properties to the Bayelsa State Government; methinks Alamieyeseigha
should have been allowed to live his life without unnecessary
political intimidation and harassment.
Many pan-Ijaw groups have also towed this path by demanding
explanation from the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government
over its fanatical disposition towards releasing to another country, a
citizen of Nigeria that had been tried, convicted and later pardoned
in accordance with the laws of the country.
Could this really be the reason why the UK authorities wanted him back
to the UK to be caged, so that he would not pose any threat to those
who want to win the Bayelsa gubernatorial elections at all cost?
I have no evidence that these claims are true. But the foregoing is in
deed a wake up call for the south south, especially the Ijaw nation
that whose people are still being treated as second hand citizens.
They must never go to sleep as far as the question of self
determination and national recognition are concerned. To the extent
that the minorities in Nigeria, especially the long suffering South
south people, continue to suffer marginalization, humiliation and
needless exposure to external mortification without protection, the
Ijaws would continue to fight for their right to exist.
* Mr Ola, a public affairs commentator, contributed this piece from
Yenagoa in Bayelsa State
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