Contrary to the reports that authorities were planning to extradite the former governor to the UK to answer to crimes of money laundering, the UK has denied the initiation of such plan.
Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha
Following the death of former Baylesa Governor, Chief Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha in a Port Harcourt Hospital on Saturday, October 10, 2015 after suffering a cardiac arrest, it will be recalled that several news media carried the news last week that the British Government had re-opened its case against Alamieyeseigha and extradition request had been made to President Buhari.
Some reports say that he died because he was fearful of being extradited to the UK where he would have been jailed.
However, the United Kingdom’s High Commission in Nigeria has swiftly denied that its government had re-opened the case of money-laundering against Alamieyeseigha and that there was any request before Buhari to return the former Bayelsa Governor to the UK to face criminal charges.
According to The Trent, the High Commission called the reports “a rumour in its entirety” and there was “no renewed move to reopen the case” and said that the Nigerian media got carried away by the interview granted by the British Envoy to Nigeria, Andrew Pocock because there was a new government.
A senior officer of the Commission, who spoke confidently and on anonymity on telephone in Abuja, said the information is a rumour in its entirety, adding that the Crown Prosecution has not tabled any extradition request on Alamiesyeseigha, to the High Commission.
While responding to whether it is true that that the Crown Prosecution Service of UK, has made any formal request for Alamieyeseigha’s extradition, she said the Crown Prosecution Service more often do not often give or confirm information on such matters.
She however disclosed that there is no renewed move to reopen the case. “As you know, the immediate past High Commissioner, Sir Andrew Pocock, before he left Nigeria, had in an interview averred that the manner in which Alamieyeseigha escaped from UK, made him a wanted a person.
“But as you know and with the new government of President Muhammdadu Buhari, in place, the media is presenting it as if the UK has said that we need this man. There is no such thing as moves for his extradition or of anybody or organisation to recall his extradition to UK,” she said. “Like you know, the media find such issues interesting. They just jumped to and start publishing the way they like, without clarifications from the High Commission.”