Posted by From Kelvin Ebiri and Willie Etim on
IT started as a rumour all over the country in the early hours but reached a peak as a seeming drama a little later. Telephones buzzed endlessly and electronic messages jammed the waves.
IT started as a rumour all over the country in the early hours but reached a peak as a seeming drama a little later. Telephones buzzed endlessly and electronic messages jammed the waves.
By sunrise, the seemingly unbelievable had turned a reality: Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha, Governor of Bayelsa State, who is standing trial for alleged money laundering in a London Court and who has been barred from leaving Britain, unexpectedly showed up, live, in his home State, Bayelsa.
Alamieyeseigha yesterday appeared in Yenagoa, the state capital, at about 10.20 a.m. and addressed a crowd of residents in front of his office. It was, of course, a shocked audience that received the news yesterday. How did he do it? Where did he come from? Who knew what? Who knew not...? The questions were endless as a shocked citizenry warmed up to the reality of Alamieyeseigha's unexpected return.
The governor is believed to have slipped into Nigeria at about 4.00 a.m. yesterday. He received a hero's welcome from the indigenes, thousands of whom trooped to the streets in wild jubilation.
Wearing a simple shirt on a pair of trousers and with a bowler hat, Alamieyeseigha who spoke in Ijaw, assured the people that Bayelsa was in for better days.
The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Nuhu Ribadu yesterday in Abuja said that Alamieyeseigha "forged documents" and "dressed as a woman" to escape from the U.K.
Ribadu, whose organisation has been co-operating with the British authorities in the case against Alamieyeseigha, described the escape as a "scandal."
Alamieyeseigha returned to his native Amassoma at about 6.30 p.m. An initial broadcast slated for yesterday was put off to enable him consult widely.
Sources said that the trip to Amassoma was over fears that the Federal
Government might deploy troops to the state capital to kidnap him.
Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution confers immunity on the President, the Vice President, Governors and Deputy Governors, while their terms of office last.
Alamieyeseigha's Plateau State counterpart Joshua Dariye, who was granted bail in the U.K. last year on similar charges and on the condition that he would return to London in December last year, has failed to return.
While addressing the crowd yesterday Alamieyeseigha was radiant and spoke with the confidence of a war hero. Yenagoa was thrown into a carnival. Hundreds of women and youths thronged the streets, jubilating. Some others rode in a motorcade, waving green leaves and brandished beer bottles.
The governor, who sources said arrived in the state at about 2.00 a.m. and drove straight to Amassoma community, later returned to Yenagoa at 10.20 a.m. He was greeted and cheered endlessly by thousands of his supporters who chanted anti- Federal Government songs in Ijaw language.
Alamieyeseigha drove from Amassoma straight to the Government House in a motorcade and addressed a mammoth crowd in front of his office. He lauded the people for their prayers during his travail in London.
The governor was flanked by his Deputy, Goodluck Jonathan, the impeached Deputy Speaker of the Bayelsa House of Assembly Foingha Jephthah, the Commissioner for Women Affairs Remi Kuku, his Special Adviser on Youths, Logistic, Government House Transport, Abel Ebifemowei and the Commissioner for Information, Oronto Douglas.
Douglas, according to agency report, said: "We woke up this morning and he was here."
When The Guardian called him on the phone, the Information Commissioner simply said: "I will only tell you in one sentence that the Governor General is safely back in Bayelsa State."
The governor expressed gratitude to the people for their steadfastness during his absence, and for their support to Jonathan, whom he lauded for piloting the affairs of the state in a mature and most effective manner.
He urged the people to be focused, united and steadfast in the struggle for resource control and self-determination. According to him, the task before the citizens of the state and his government was to move the state forward, adding that there was a lot of work to be done.
Throughout yesterday, there was stampede at the gate to the Government House, Creek Haven, Yenagoa. Security was relaxed to allow the people easy access.
Rumours of a possible troops deployment by the Federal Government to the state capital infuriated the youths, who vowed to engage in violent reprisal.
A source said that the Deputy Governor had early yesterday held a meeting with top Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwarts in the state before the governor appeared.
The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Preye Wariowei, likened the return of his boss to the Biblical triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. He further said that the governor would make a state broadcast where the details of his travails, his impressions about Nigeria and other national issues would be disclosed.
Despite the secrecy that is surrounding the means through which the governor left London, some sources in the Yenagoa claimed that it was executed by some Israelis.
It was said that the governor was first moved to Portugal and was later airlifted to Togo from where he flew into Nigeria on Sunday night.
His sudden appearance in the state, without fulfilling the court requirement, according to some observers, is a very serious embarrassment to Nigeria.
Some youths groups in the state who are still very loyal to the governor said they would do everything to resist any attempt to re-arrest the governor.
Alamieyeseigha was arrested at the Heathrow Airport in London on September 15 on his way back from Germany where he had gone for cosmetic surgery. In a search of his London home by detectives from the Scotland Yard, about £1 million cash was allegedly found. Also, £420,000 and £470,000 were said to have been found in different bank accounts allegedly belonging to him.
The funds have since been confiscated while assets worth £10 million allegedly belonging to the governor have been frozen.
He was granted conditional bail by the police, which seized his travel documents. But his lawyers challenged the police decision at the Redbridge Magistrate's Court on September 27 and got a declaration that the police bail conditions were null and void.
But the Police on September 28 formally arraigned him at the Bow Street Magistrate's Court on a three-count charge of money laundering. The court ordered that he be remanded in prison.
His lawyers filed a bail application at a higher court, the Southwark Crown Court, which began hearing the case on October 4. He was formally granted bail October 11 with six conditions.
The conditions as stated by Justice Rivlin, a Queens Counsel included:
Residence: The defendant must live and sleep each night at an address known to the court.
Daily Reporting- The defendant must report daily to a police station known to the court.
Securities: Securities must be lodged with the court to a total sum of £500,000
Sureties: There must be three sureties of £250,000
Not to leave the jurisdiction nor apply for any travel documents.
Not to go within three miles of any port or airport.
Alamieyeseigha, through his new firm of solicitors Corker Binning, however, made an application to the Southwark Crown Court for the release of his travel documents to enable him return home.
The application was said to have been based on an affidavit deposed to by Attorney General of Bayelsa State, Mr. Talford Onglo, in which he vouched for the governor's integrity, stating his readiness to return to London each time the trial was going on or when he was needed by either the court or the police.