UK recovers N3.5bn Alamieyeseigha’s loot – Report

The United Kingdom has so far recovered a total of $17.7m (N3.5bn) loot linked to the former Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, who died on Saturday, a report by the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative has said. 

STAR, an initiative of the World Bank Group and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, in the report noted that the amount included monies and assets recovered from the former governor between 2005 and 2010. 

Properties belonging to Alamieyeseigha in the UK, Denmark and Cyprus were ordered seized by the UK, the report added. 

According to the STAR study, the $17.7m consisted of the $1.5m cash seized at the time of Alams’ arrest at the Heathrow Airport in London in 2005; $2.7m held in bank accounts in Royal Bank of Scotland Plc and Santolina Investment Corporation; and properties worth $15m in London. 

A London court had in May 2006 ordered the confiscation of the seized cash in pursuant to the Proceeds of Crime Act, after Alamieyeseigha skipped bail and returned to Nigeria. 

STAR noted that the recovery was made possible through an effective cooperation between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the London Metropolitan Police. 

The report read in part, “According to a case study by the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative, the recovery in the case consisted of $1.5m in cash seized at the time of arrest and $2.7m held in bank accounts [Royal Bank of Scotland PLC, Santolina Investment Corporation account in excess of £1.8m] and London real estate worth $15m [four properties registered under Solomon & Peters Limited as sole proprietor]. 

“In May 2006, a London court ordered the confiscation of the seized cash pursuant to the Proceeds of Crime Act, after Alamieyeseigha skipped bail and returned to Nigeria; bank accounts and London real estate were confiscated pursuant to a December 2007 United Kingdom High Court summary judgment; and a July 2008 judgment left to confiscation of remaining assets in the United Kingdom, Denmark and Cyprus. Pursuant to his July 2007 plea in Nigerian High Court, he was sentenced to a two-year prison term and his assets in Nigeria were ordered seized.” 

While noting that the former Bayelsa governor was implicated for money laundering, STAR linked the legal basis for the recovery to administrative confiscation, private civil action, criminal prosecution and forfeiture. 

The former Nigeria High Commissioner to the UK, Dr. Dalhatu Tafida, had in July said over £5m stolen fund recovered from Alamieyeseigha had been returned to the Bayelsa State government in 2012. 

Tafida said the £5m was received from the British authorities and handed over to two government officials from Bayelsa State, who came to London for the transfer. He told his audience that the money was lodged in a Bayelsa State government account with the London branch of First Bank Plc.