The news hit Nigeria like a shockwave. His Excellency Governor Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha, the Governor of Bayelsa State, the revered Governor-General of Ijaw Nation had been arrested in London!
DSP, as he was fondly called, was a physical giant and a political heavyweight. As a governor, he lived up to the meaning of his mouthful and jaw-breaking surname, Alamieyeseigha [pronounced as al-uh-mess-EE-ya] which means ‘the king can do no wrong’. As a governor, he was larger than life. His influence was however not limited to his native State. His was a figure that was recognized throughout Nigeria. In case you have forgotten, DSP was the Ganuwan Katsina [Advisor of Katsina]. He was the first person who was not of Islamic faith to be so honoured by the Katsina Emirate.
Following his retirement as a Squadron Leader from the Nigerian Air Force in 1992, he emerged as the governor of the oil-rich Bayelsa State on the country’s return to civil rule on May 29, 1999.
His Deputy was a former lecturer, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. It was a perfect pairing. Whereas the governor was boisterous and ebullient, his deputy was reticent and preferred to stay in the background.
Unknown to DSP, he had been under coordinated surveillance even before he left the shores of Nigeria for his surgery in Germany. The London Metropolitan Police had earlier arrested a woman who was said to have tried to transfer between GBP10m and GBP20m from an account in the HSBC in London. The lady reportedly confessed fronting for the governor. Hence, the British Police officers were waiting patiently for DSP when he arrived at Heathrow.
At Ilford Police Station, DSP was granted conditional bail on self-recognizance. His passport was however impounded and he was asked to remain in London pending the conclusion of investigation into his case of alleged money laundering. He was also mandated to report daily to Paddington Green Police Station.
The news of DSP’s arrest was as incredible as the news of snowfall in Sahara Desert. From Bayelsa to Bauchi, From Langtang to Lagos, from Jos to Ijebu-Jesa, it was the same question on everyone’s lips: Could it be true? Almost everyone became an emergency expert on constitutional law. Lawyers and non-lawyers were having a field day on different television and radio channels analyzing the implication of the arrest.
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