Alamieyeseigha to be buried March 26

The burial ceremony of the late former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, will commence on March 24 and end on March 26, a family source said on Tuesday. Alamieyeseigha would have been buried on November 16 last year, the day he would have marked his 63 birthday.

But it was reportedly put off because of preparations for the state governorship election and lack of agreement between the state government and the deceased’s family.

The silence over his burial had led to speculations especially outside the Niger Delta region that Alamieyeseigha’s death might have been faked to stop his extradition to Britain on corruption charges.

But Major Graham Naingba (rtd), the first cousin of the deceased and Traditional Ruler of Amassoma, Alamieyeseigha’s community in Southern Ijaw local government area of the state, said the death was not faked.

Graham, who spoke on Tuesday when our correspondent visited his palace in Amassoma, said it was an abomination in Ogboin community, comprising Amassoma, Amatolu and Otuan, for anybody to fake his death.

Naingba noted that though the chiefs in the community were yet to see the remains of the late former governor, some members of the family were present when he died.

He said: “Alamieyeseigha is truly dead. I have heard people who claimed that he faked his death. It is not true. In Ogboin community, we don’t fake our death.

“If anybody claims that he is dead and he eventually comes back, the person cannot live for more than three months. It is our tradition. If you fake your death, you are gone because you cannot live again.

“Even if the whole world says he is not dead, I the traditional ruler of this community will tell you that he is dead.”

The Nation