“We Are Waiting for Alamieyeseigha in the UK” – British High Commissioner Pocock

The United Kingdom has not given up on making efforts to extradite former Bayelsa State governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha back to Britain to face trial.

According to Andrew Pocock, British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Alamieyeseigha still has an outstanding case of money laundering to face in the UK and the UK government will never give up until he is brought to justice.
It was gathered that the former governor made a dramatic escape from the custody of British authorities when he fled back to Nigeria from detention in September 2005.
It is said that he would later be convicted on similar money laundering charges on July 26, 2007 in Nigeria after he got impeached from his position.
The recent state pardon by President Jonathan shocked the UK authorities.
Despite of what happened, Pocock dismissed insinuations that London is planning to sanction Nigeria over the issue.
He said: “That is not the way we do things.”
Pocock also revealed that the United Kingdom had earlier requested for the former governor’s extradition but they did not get any response.
He also said that the UK asked the Attorney General and Minister for Justice for Alamieyeseigha’s extradition and is still waiting for his take on the issue.
“The former governor skipped bail in the UK on a charge of money laundering and returned to Nigeria. So, he has an outstanding charge in the UK, which is there for him to answer.
We have already discussed it and the Nigerian government knows our views. But we would like to see him return and answer charge in the UK,” Pocock said.
When asked about the UK’s past and present efforts to see Alamieyeseigha extradited to the United Kingdom, the High Commissioner said:
“Yes. I think we asked in the past. I am very sure we asked in the past. But I am not sure we got a formal response. So, we are still waiting for a formal response from the Nigerian government.
We have asked the Attorney General. He will have to tell us what his position is on extradition. I haven’t had a reply yet, but we still wait for it,” the British envoy added.
Pocock who is just three months old in the country as British envoy said more about the relationship between his country and Nigeria in the exclusive interview we had with him.” culled ireporter tv