Fresh information from the Nigerian High Commission In United Kingdom (UK) revealed that £5 million that was stolen by former Bayelsa state Governor Dieprieye Alamieyeseigha was returned into state government coffer in 2012.
This revelation was made by Nigeria High Commissioner to UK Dr. Dalhatu Tafida at the weekend in Birminghan while speaking to Nigerian Community. He stated that the stolen fund was retrieved by the federal government through its High Commission in London.
According to The Nation, Tafida who had earlier visited Liverpool, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Belfast, Newcastle, and Manchester before his visit to Birminghan as part of his thank-you-tour as his tenure ends on August 15.
He explained that £5 million was recovered by the British authorities and handed over to two government officials from Bayelsa State, who came to London for the transfer.
He told his audience that the money was lodged into a Bayelsa State government account with the London branch of First Bank Plc.
Alamieyeseigha got state pardon by the former President Goodluck Jonathan who himself served as deputy governor during hi administration.
The former governor was arrested at Heathrow Airport in September 2005 by the Metropolitan Police, later released on bail. He later flee UK to Nigeria after the bail. In Nigeria he was arraigned before Federal High on six-count of making false declaration of assets.
Former presidential adviser to Ex-President Jonathan, Doyin Okupe said in 2013 while responding the pardon said the former governor remorseful of his action that was why he was granted state pardon.
Okupe said:“He was tried, jailed and dispossessed of his property. He has been remorseful and there is no law against the granting of pardons to any criminal.”
According to report, these are assets recovered from the former governor: $1.5 million in cash, seized at the time of arrest and $2.7 million held in bank accounts (Royal Bank of Scotland PLC, Santolina Investment Corporation account in excess of GBP 1.8 million) and London real estate worth $15 million (four properties registered under Solomon & Peters Ltd. as sole proprietor).
The envoy took time to dismiss the insinuation that was making the rounds that President Buhari had rejected a Rolls Royce purportedly sent to pick him when he visited UK before his inauguration as president.
He said: “The story is not true. It didn’t happen. I went to the airport to receive him right from the plane. I took him to where he stayed and we left back to Nigeria together.
He rode from the airport with me in my official car, which is a bullet proof Mercedes Benz (marked FGN1). To God who made me, Buhari did not refuse anything we gave him. That was what I gave him for the six days he spent. Even, when he took over, I called him, I spoke to him. Buhari is my brother.”
This revelation was made by Nigeria High Commissioner to UK Dr. Dalhatu Tafida at the weekend in Birminghan while speaking to Nigerian Community. He stated that the stolen fund was retrieved by the federal government through its High Commission in London.
According to The Nation, Tafida who had earlier visited Liverpool, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Belfast, Newcastle, and Manchester before his visit to Birminghan as part of his thank-you-tour as his tenure ends on August 15.
He explained that £5 million was recovered by the British authorities and handed over to two government officials from Bayelsa State, who came to London for the transfer.
He told his audience that the money was lodged into a Bayelsa State government account with the London branch of First Bank Plc.
Alamieyeseigha got state pardon by the former President Goodluck Jonathan who himself served as deputy governor during hi administration.
The former governor was arrested at Heathrow Airport in September 2005 by the Metropolitan Police, later released on bail. He later flee UK to Nigeria after the bail. In Nigeria he was arraigned before Federal High on six-count of making false declaration of assets.
Former presidential adviser to Ex-President Jonathan, Doyin Okupe said in 2013 while responding the pardon said the former governor remorseful of his action that was why he was granted state pardon.
Okupe said:“He was tried, jailed and dispossessed of his property. He has been remorseful and there is no law against the granting of pardons to any criminal.”
According to report, these are assets recovered from the former governor: $1.5 million in cash, seized at the time of arrest and $2.7 million held in bank accounts (Royal Bank of Scotland PLC, Santolina Investment Corporation account in excess of GBP 1.8 million) and London real estate worth $15 million (four properties registered under Solomon & Peters Ltd. as sole proprietor).
The envoy took time to dismiss the insinuation that was making the rounds that President Buhari had rejected a Rolls Royce purportedly sent to pick him when he visited UK before his inauguration as president.
He said: “The story is not true. It didn’t happen. I went to the airport to receive him right from the plane. I took him to where he stayed and we left back to Nigeria together.
He rode from the airport with me in my official car, which is a bullet proof Mercedes Benz (marked FGN1). To God who made me, Buhari did not refuse anything we gave him. That was what I gave him for the six days he spent. Even, when he took over, I called him, I spoke to him. Buhari is my brother.”
