The United States on Thursday signed an agreement with the Nigerian government for the return of about $1 million stolen by a former governor of Bayelsa state, the late Deprieye Alamieyeseigha.
Alamieyeseigha, who was the governor of Bayelsa in south-south Nigeria between 1999 and 2005, died in October 2015.
He was arrested in London in September 2005 on corruption charges, but managed to escape bail and returned to Nigeria.
He was removed from his post by the Bayelsa State Legislative Assembly in December 2005 to stand trial.
Although later pardoned by the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr. Alamieyeseigha was sentenced on July 26, 2007 by the Federal High Court after he pleaded guilty to corruption charges and granted forfeiture of the assets that were confiscated.
Based on mutual cooperation, funds traced back to him in the UK and the US were also seized.
At the signing of the agreement for the repatriation of funds seized by the US government, in Abuja on Thursday, US Ambassador to Nigeria Mary Leonard said the funds will be used to finance the health services in the state of Bayelsa.
“As a result of today’s agreement, medical care in Bayelsa will be improved through the rehabilitation, remodeling and re-equipment of health centers as requested by the state,” he said at the ceremony held at the Federal Ministry of Justice.
The recovery process
Recalling the 15-year journey of recovering stolen assets, Ms. Leonard revealed that Mr. Alamieyeseigha’s “official salary did not exceed the equivalent of about $81,000 a year”.
“However, during that time, he (Alamieyeseigha) amassed millions of dollars worth of property due to corrupt acts such as abuse of office, money laundering and other violations of Nigerian and US laws,” the US ambassador added.
Citing the UN convention against corruption, he reaffirmed the US government’s commitment to address corrupt practices.
To prevent repossessed profits from being looted again, Ms Leonard said, “repossessed profits will be transformed into assets that benefit people harmed by the underlying corrupt conduct, to improve the lives of average Nigerians, not an elite corrupt”.
In addition, he promised that the United States would continue to “deny safe haven to corrupt actors and the assets they have illicitly acquired.”
Buhari approves return of stolen assets
Speaking earlier, Nigerian Attorney General Abubakar Malami, who was represented by the Federation’s Permanent Secretary and Attorney General, thanked the US government for returning looted funds to Nigeria.
“…this return of assets arose from the confiscation and recovery of approximately $1 million dollars linked to the corrupt practices of the former Governor of Bayelsa State, DSP Alamieyeseigha,” recalled the minister.
It said the forfeited assets totaling $954,807.40 were located in Maryland and Massachusetts.
The AGF noted that, following a US court order and negotiations between the two governments, President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the terms of an agreement that would see repatriated funds invested in healthcare projects for the Bayelsa population.
In a comment, Bayelsa state attorney general and justice commissioner Biriyai Dambo promised to implement the terms of the deal for the project.
Mr. Dambo, Chief Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), represented Governor Duoye Diri, who is grieving.
Alamieyeseigha was removed from his post in 2005 on corruption charges.
Alamieyeseigha, who was the first executive governor of Bayelsa, was later tried and imprisoned for theft.
However, he was pardoned by former President Goodluck Jonathan, who served as Lieutenant Governor of Alamieyeseigha.