For former Bayelsa State Governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, it is not over until the Queen says so as the UK government has formally requested his extradition to the UK to answer to pending charges against him. He returned to the country amidst investigation and prosecution by the British authorities in controversial circumstances, having disguised as a woman to evade being noticed.
He was subsequently granted pardon by President Goodluck Jonathan during his tenure, a gesture that has seen Alamieyeseigha circulating again and morphing back to his old status of power broker. But the UK authorities have fished out his file once again. Reports say they have requested for the extradition of the former governor to London.
For the British Government, the former governor has an outstanding case in the UK on money laundering which is there for him to answer, reports Channels TV. A Presidency source said President Muhammadu Buhari will be willing to accede to such request as he cannot bear the moral burden of stalling the course of the law in a case that borders of corruption.
The Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Corruption, Professor Itse Sagay, was quoted as saying that the President Buhari-led government is prepared to assent to the request of the British Government.
He said that the United Kingdom has every legal right to demand for the extradition of the former Bayelsa State Governor.
“The UK is in principle correct to be making such a request based on the fact that the crime was committed on the British soil. However, when there is delay in trial as a result of time, there may be consideration on legal grounds so that the trial is not seen as oppressive,” he said.
Former Governor Alamieyeseigha, who was facing money laundering charges, jumped bail and returned to Nigeria and has since then refused to answer summons for trial to continue.
