How Alamieyeseigha died as Nigerians speculate on cause of death

The death of Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, a one-time helmsman of Bayelsa State, who passed on at the age of 63, is generating mixed reactions across the country. His demise was confirmed by Bayelsa State Commissioner for Information, Esueme Dan-Kikili. Dan-Kikili said Alamieyeseigha, who had been actively involved in the re-election campaign of Governor Seriake Dickson ahead of the December 5 Bayelsa governorship, died of cardiac arrest. In his reaction, Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson described the sudden death of Alamieyeseigha, “as a personal loss to him, the Government and people of the State”. “Alamieyeseigha was a strong pillar of support to the restoration government,” he said, stressing that his demise “is a very painful and monumental loss to the entire Ijaw nation, which he has always stood firm for in all its ramifications,” he said. Bayelsa State Government also commiserated with his wife, Margret, his immediate family, the Alamieyeseighas and the entire Bayelsans. DAILY POST recalls that last year, tragedy struck the Alamieyeseighas when one of his sons, Oyamiefa, was found dead in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he was studying. Oyamiefa, 30, was found dead in his father’s palatial house, where he reportedly stayed alone. Speaking to DAILY POST on Alamieyeseigha’s death, a state government source said he died at about 3pm on Saturday. According to him, ‘Alams’ as fondly called was “deeply worried” about his planned arrest and transfer to the UK for further prosecution. “The matter has been troubling him and he disclosed this to those around him. “He went to Dubai for his routine check-up and treatment. He goes there once in a while since he was diagnosed for diabetic. He was also hypertensive,” said the source. “When he is not in Nigeria, he is mostly in Dubai to rest and see his doctors. “This time around, he returned during the week but went into coma shortly afterwards. “He has been on support since then at University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.” Meanwhile, many Nigerians are claiming different versions of his death. Their claims can, however, be ciphered into one – that Alamieyeseigha committed suicide. While a group says he took his life by taking poison others said he may have deliberately asked that the life support be removed. According to them, his death happening at a time he was a target of extradition to the United Kingdom by the Federal Government is suspicious. The government, it was gathered, had concluded plans to begin the court processes to that effect. Alamieyeseigha was impeached on allegations of corruption on 9 December 2005. Alamieyeseigha, while a serving governor, escaped from the custody of the British authorities when he fled back to Nigeria from detention in September 2005 dressed like a woman. He was later convicted on similar money laundering charges on July 26, 2007, in Nigeria after he was removed as the governor. In March 2013, President Goodluck Jonathan granted Alamieyeseigha pardon via the state clemency. Earlier in September, the UK through its British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Andrew Pocock, insisted that Alamieyeseigha, has an outstanding case of money laundering to answer in the UK. “The former governor skipped bail in the UK on a charge of money laundering and returned to Nigeria. So, he has an outstanding charge in the UK, which is there for him to answer,” Pocock said. “We have already discussed it and the Nigerian government knows our views. But we would like to see him return and answer the charge in the UK.” SOURCE: DAILY POST