UK Govt. denies declaring Alamieyeseigha wanted.

There are insinuations that Alamieyeseigha's death was not unconnected to the rumours of his possible extradition to the UK for an outstanding money-laundering case, which were swiftly denied by the UK High Commission in Nigeria.

The British High Commission in Nigeria, yesterday, debunked as mere rumour, the recent news making the rounds in the media, that the former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha is wanted in the UK to answer question bordering on corruption charges.

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.”

In September 2005, Alamieyeseigha (then the Bayelsa State governor) was detained by the London Metropolitan Police on charges of money-laundering

The Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Corruption, Professor Itse Sagay, was quoted to have said that the President Buhari-led government is prepared to assent to the request of the British Government as the United Kingdom has every legal right to demand for the extradition of the former Bayelsa State Governor.

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