After news circulated that former Bayelsa state governor, Depriye Alamieyeseigha is dead, rumours started circulating that he may have faked his death to avoid re-arrest and extradition to the UK to stand trial on money laundering charges.
But a family member has announced a date for his burial.
The rumours gained grounds following the seeming silence by the family on the date for the burial of late Alamieyeseigha, who died on October 10, 2015 after unsuccessful battle with cardiac arrest.
It was learnt that the deceased, fondly called “governor-general of the Ijaw nation”, would have been buried on November 16 last year, the day he would have marked his 63 birthday but the internment was put off largely due to preparations for the Bayelsa governorship polls and lack of agreement between the state government and the late former governor’s family.
The Seriake Dickson-led government in Bayelsa is planning on giving the former governor a befitting state burial.
It was learnt that burial ceremony of the late former governor will commence on March 24 and end on March 26.
Reacting to the rumours, 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.
The traditional ruler, who spoke in his palace in Amasssoma on Tuesday, said it was an abomination in Ogboin community, comprising Amassoma, Amatolu and Otuan, for anybody to fake their death.
Naingba noted that though the chiefs in the community were yet to see the remains of the late Alamieyeseigha, 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”.