The United States and the Nigerian Government have reached an agreement with regards to the repatriation of a $954,000 stashed by former Bayelsa governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha American Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard disclosed during a media briefing Thursday in Abuja that the fund was linked to corrupt enrichment by Mr. Alamieyeseigha who died suddenly at 62 in 2015. Solicitor-general of the Federation Beatrice Jedy-Agba, Solicitor-General of the Federation, who represented Nigeria at the briefing said: “This asset return arose from the forfeiture and recovery of approximately $1 million USD linked to the corrupt practices of former Bayelsa state governor, D.S.P. Alamieyeseigha. ‘The United States government, in collaboration with the Federal Republic of Nigeria initiated and completed forfeiture proceedings against certain real property and investment funds located in Maryland and Massachusetts against the former governor which resulted in the net forfeiture to the Government of United States of America totaling the sum of $954,807.40.” “Following the court order, the FRN and the USA have negotiated and finalized the terms of the asset return agreement, “It is worthy to note that in line with the terms of this agreement, President Muhammadu Buhari has already approved the expected sum to be utilised for the implementation of a health centre project for the benefit of the people of Bayelsa state and to be monitored by the civil society organisations and the federal government, through the federal ministry of justice.” Apart from the loot in the USA, Alams as he was fondly called by his admirers was detained in London on charges of money laundering in September 2005. At the time of his arrest, Metropolitan police found about £1m in cash in his London home.
Later they found a total of £1.8m ($3.2m) in cash and bank accounts. He was found to own four homes in London worth an alleged £10 million. He jumped bail in December 2005 from the United Kingdom by allegedly disguising himself as a woman, though Alamieyeseigha denied this claim. On July 26, 2007, Alamieyeseigha pleaded guilty before a Nigerian court to six charges and was sentenced to two years in prison on each charge; however, because the sentences were set to run concurrently and the time was counted from the point of his arrest nearly two years before the sentences, his actual sentence was relatively short. He was later pardoned by former President Goodluck Jonathan, a move that triggered backlash. Additional reports by Daily Trust.
