The former Governor of Bayelsa State, DSP Alamieyeseigha is dead.
The Bayelsa State Commissioner for Information, Esueme Dan-Kikili, has confirmed to Channels Television that the former governor died of cardiac arrest on Saturday.
He reportedly slipped into a coma two days ago and was placed on life support.
There were reports during the week that the British Government was determined to resurrect an outstanding case of money laundering against the former governor and had requested for his extradition to London.
Alamieyeseigha, who was facing money laundering charges, jumped bail and returned to Nigeria and has since then refused to answer summons for trial to continue.
There are insinuations that his 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.
According to his Wikipedia page, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha was born on November 16, 1952 in Amassoma, Ogboin North Local Government Area, Bayelsa State.
He attended the Bishop Dimeari Grammar School, Yenagoa. He joined the Nigerian Defence Academy as a Cadet Officer in 1974, then joined the Nigerian Air Force, where he served in the department of Logistics and Supply.
He held various air force positions in Enugu, Markurdi, Kaduna and Ikeja. Alamieyeseigha retired from the air force in 1992 as a Squadron Leader.
After leaving the air force he became the Sole Administrator of Pabod Supplies Port Harcourt. Later he became Head of Budget, Planning, Research and Development of the National Fertiliser Company (NAFCON).
Diepreye Alamieyeseigha was impeached on allegations of corruption on 9 December 2005.
