Alam’s son: Keyamo accuses FG of double standard

Thursday, October 16, 2014 

Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Festus Keyamo, has accused the Federal Government of giving preference to the death of a son of a former Bayelsa State Governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.



The former governor’s son, Oyamuyefa, was reportedly killed in Dubai on Saturday.

Keyamo, who described the death “under questionable circumstances” as “particularly painful”, however said that similar incidents involving other Nigerian citizens had not enjoyed government’s swift response.

He said in the case of a Nigerian, Toba Falode, who was also said to have died under “hazy circumstances” in February 2014 was totally ignored by government, leaving the deceased’s family “to grieve alone”.

The lawyer’s statement he issued on Tuesday read in part, “However, we note the swiftness with which the Federal Government responded to this sad and painful news with a call on the U.A.E authorities to fish out the killers of Mr. Oyamuyefa Alamieyeseigha.

“However, whilst this action of the Federal Government is commendable, it smacks of double standards.

“Recall that on 15th of February, 2014, Toba (Tyler) Falode was also murdered in hazy circumstances in Dubai. Recall also that the mother, Aisha Falode, took it upon herself to carry out some discreet investigation into those circumstances and has since been crying out for justice for her son.

“Up till this minute, the Federal Government has not issued a single statement calling on the U.A.E authorities to fish out the killers of Toba Falode.

“The Federal Government has played the ostrich in the case of Toba, leaving the mother and family grieving alone. “

The lawywer lamented the Federal Government’s scanty attention to the murder of Nigerians abroad, an attitude which he said had emboldened foreigners to snuffle lives out of more Nigerians in the foreign lands.

He maintained that Oyamuyefa’s death might have been averted if similar incidents had been given due attention by government in the past.

He stated, “If the Federal Government has shown more interest in the case of Toba, perhaps the precious life of Mr. Oyamuyefa Alamieyeseigha would have been saved.

“It is important to note that we have written statements of witnesses who confirmed that the killer of Toba Falode confessed to the crime, and these statements have since been forwarded to the UAE Government, but it is such a shame that nothing has been heard or done eight months after.

“We hope this is a bitter lesson to the Federal Government and we hereby re-iterate our call on the Federal Government to show more interest in the quest to find the killers of Toba Falode and bring them to justice.”

(Punch)