BY MARTINS
OLOJA,MUYIWA ADEYEMI AND JOHN-ABBA
OGBODO
FRANTIC
efforts were being made by the Federal
Government last night to extradite the
impeached Bayelsa State Governor,
Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha to
Britain to face the law for alleged
money laundering charges. He had already
jumped bail in London, ran back home on
Monday, November 21 to continue his work
as governor.
But a senior lawyer told
The Guardian last night that the
procedure would not be a straight
forward jacket as the traditional
channel of extradition hearing has to be
fully explored, and it normally takes
some time.
He will be charged to a
Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday.
In fact, a competent
source said a legal advice to the
government wanted a proper procedure to
be followed, much against any rushed
arrangement.
The impeached governor,
according to a report on the national
television network yesterday, was flown
to Abuja almost immediately after he
lost his exalted seat.
He was seen in handcuffs
on an NTA footage as he was being led
into the Louis Edet House - the police
headquarters.
The former governor was
seen in long sleeves in the company of
senior police officers.
It was not clear at
press time whether he would be handed
over to the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commision (EFCC).
A source at the police
headquarters, however, said he was taken
away from the Louis Edet House to a
detention centre at about 7.30 p.m,
possibly a police guest house at Maitama
District. Some of his commissioners were
believed to have been taken along with
him.
If the Economic and
Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) could
have it way, the impeached governor of
Bayelsa State Chief DSP
A former Attorney
General of the federation yesterday said
that extradition is not an executive
matter but a judicial matter, which must
take a due process.
The former minister of
justice who would not want his name in
print said there are international laws
and conventions that guide extradition
which Nigerian government must follow.
According to him: "If
the EFCC wants to extradite the man to
London, they must first take him to
court in Nigeria where he would have to
defend himself. Even if a judgment is
given and he is not satisfied, he has
the right to appeal even to the Supreme
Court. Extradition is not something that
is that easy, it must follow a due
judicial process."
Reacting to an
impression that the INTERPOL might have
issued an international warrant of
arrest to extradite Alamieyeseigha to
London, the international lawyer said:
"There are basic international laws that
guide the conduct of INTERPOL, even if
they had warrant of arrest they must
still take it to court where the
validity of such warrant would be
verified.
"If not, it means that
INTERPOL can just come to your office
and whisk you to the airport, then to
Moscow. We have recent cases in London
and Chile as an instance. For that of
London, the case dragged to the House of
Lords.
He however advised the
government to follow due process in
extraditing the impeached governor to
London
