Keyamo accuses Federal Govt of double standards in handling death of Alamieyeseigha and Falode’s sons

Lagos lawyer, Mr. Festus Keyamo, has accused the federal government of applying a double standards in commiserating with families who suffer tragic losses of their loved ones.

The accusation w contained in a statement he (Keyamo) issued yesterday in Lagos where he questioned why the federal government was indifferent when the news of the murder of Toba Falode in Dubai was announced, eight months after, whereas, it (federal government) swiftly issued a statement not only commiserating with former Bayelsa State governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha over the tragic murder of his son, Oyamuyefa, in the same Dubai, last weekend, but also calling on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities to fish out the killers of the younger Alamieyeseigha.

Although Keyamo commiserated with the former Bayelsa governor, he noted that Toba Falode was murdered in Dubai in February this year, lamenting that eight months after, the federal government has neither commiserated with Toba’s mother, Aisha Falode, nor shown any concern on the tragic murder to warrant urging the UAE authorities to investigate the murder, even when Aisha’s personal investigation had unravelled the killers of her son. Yet, it swiftly issues a statement barely a day after the news of the murder of Alamieyeseigha’s son broke.

Keyamo then asked if the President had different value scale for the lives of the nation’s citizens.

President Jonathan was the deputy governor to Alamieyeseigha while the duo served in Bayelsa between 1999 and 2005, when the latter was impeached.

Part of Keyamo’s letter read: “It is with a heavy heart and sadness that we received the news of the untimely death of a citizen of Nigeria in Dubai, Mr. Oyamuyefa Alamieyeseigha. It is particularly painful to note that he died in his prime and under questionable circumstances.

However, we note the swiftness with which the federal government responded to this sad and painful news with a call on the UAE 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 UAE 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 question is, with the swift response in the case of Oyamuyefa Alamieyeseigha, does the federal government value the lives of some of its citizens more than others?”

Keyamo argued that the lackadaisical attitude of the government when its nationals are murdered land emboldens foreigners to keep attacking and killing Nigerians abroad.

“it must be said that it is the lukewarm attitude of the federal government towards the earlier cases of Nigerians murdered abroad like the case of Toba that has emboldened foreigners in foreign lands to snuff the lives out of Nigerians without any qualms. 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.”

According to him, “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”.

The circumstances surrounding the murder of Alamieyeseigha’s son remains foggy, as some accounts claim the man committed suicide while another account says the body of Oyamuyefa was found in the elevator of his hotel in Dubai.

Credit: Tobi Soniyi/ThisDay