Group Demands Alamieyeseigha’s Arrest And Extradition To UK, Urges Jonathan To Resign

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Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room, a forum of civil society organisations, has demanded the arrest and extradition of former Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Dipreye Alamieyeseigha, to the United Kingdom to enable him face fresh criminal charges.

Condemning the recent state pardon granted Alamieyeseigha by President Goodluck Jonathan, the forum said it violated international treaty obligations.

In a meeting in Abuja on Thursday, members of the group noted that there was the need to “arrest and extradite Alamieyeseigha to the UK to face trial on charges totally unrelated to the offences for which he got convicted and pardoned in Nigeria”.

Mr. Clement Nwankwo of Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, who spoke on behalf of the group noted that although the constitution gave Jonathan the powers to pardon convicts, the amnesty granted Alamieyeseigha violated international treaty obligations.

“The Situation Room recognised that while the President has powers to pardon convicts under section 175(1) (a) of the 1999 Constitution, this power has been exercised by the President in violation of Nigeria’s international treaty obligations.

“The Situation Room notes that Alamieyeseigha, in addition to being convicted in Nigeria, also has an international warrant of arrest issued by the UK authorities around the world for his arrest and extradition to face trial for charges that are still pending in the UK.

“In other words, Alamieyeseigha is an international fugitive from justice.”

While the forum noted that the pardon undermined the anti-corruption campaign, the Predident’s action was also linked to nepotism.

“Presidential pardon in this case seemed to have been granted for personal reasons by a President acting only to please his benefactor and kinsman,” Nwankwo added.

“The Situation Room noted that the current administration rode to power on the back of a so-called transformation agenda, which includes commitment to initiate or direct policies and programmes aimed at addressing corruption.

“Unfortunately, this administration has been bedeviled by fraud and corruption scandals.

“The pardon granted Alamieyeseigha goes to show that this administration not only has no intention of fighting corruption, but has also set the country back in terms of gains made by previous administrations in the fight against corruption.”

On security situation, the forum urged the President to resign “if he is unable to deliver”.

8 COMMENTS

  1. You just spoke like somebody that don’t know the meaning of presidential pardon,I’m very sure and convinced you don’t know,please look for any standard dictionary and look for the meaning of presidential pardon,or you don’t know the meaning of a dictionary too,oh only God will help you hungry acclaimed activist.

  2. Let’sbe frank here, a presidential pardon can not be thought out by president alone, the president agreed with some group of people to do that, and now, where are those people? where is David Mark?, the state governors?, Sambo?, etc, all of them with Jonathan an Alams are birds of the same feather, they were all involved in the pardon, GEJ was only the figure head as the C-in-C that chaired the commitee, they should all and the members of their immediate families be sanctioned, If we want Nigeria to move forward and have a better future, we should stop taking sides with these corrupticians because there is no difference between them irrespective of their party affiliation or ethnic group. Stop taking sides, these people did not give a hoot about us, they only takes care of themselves and look out for one another, think about it? how come you never hear them telling us secrets of one another, don’t you think they don’t know of each other’s secrets?

  3. What happened when OBJ pardoned Salihsu Buhari who forged Toronto certificate and under age. Bill Clinton of US pardoned total of 459 persons including his brother Roger Clinton for possession of cocaine. Bill Gate and Nigerians did not see any wrong. For God sake, Presidential pardons are for criminals and not saint. Why the noise

  4. Dominic, you must be really dumb, or else how do you explain your inability to understand the demand of the activists made in plain english. Their demand, based on sound reason, is that the pardon granted Alams, who is a fugitive(a criminal on the run from the law), by virtue of the international warrant of arrest issued against him in the U.K when he jumped bail, is not in tandem with the international treaty to which Nigeria is a signatory. Nigeria has an obligation to arrest Alams and extradite him to U.K to face the criminal charges against him. For failing to do that, and granting him pardon instead, for his conviction for criminal offences in Nigeria, l am afraid Nigeria is assuming the status of a rogue state. Let all those who are involved in this trivasty of justice beware of their actions, as they may be held liable for aiding or abetting a fugitive to escape the law, as happened in India recently when on the orders of the Supreme Court of India, the Italian Ambassador was prevented from leaving India until two Italian Marines, charged with the killing of India fishermen but jumped bail, return to India to face trial.