The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has repatriated a former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
A source in the commission, who informed our correspondents of the development, said the former governor breached security in Dubai.
It was learnt that the breach had to do with a visit to him by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
The source said the EFCC was suspicious that Abubakar might be arranging the escape of the former governor from the hospital in Dubai.
He said Alamieyeseigha had undergone only one stage of his surgery when he was ejected from the hospital on Monday by some operatives of the EFCC, who accompanied him on the trip.
He added that the EFCC secretly brought Alamieyeseigha to the country and immediately detained him at its Lagos office.
A top source in the EFCC, who spoke with one of our correspondents in confidence around 9.30pm on Wednesday, said, �Alamieyeseigha is around and unruffled when I saw him.
�In fact, we may arraign him in court on Thursday.�
A counsel to Alamieyeseigha, Mr. Mike Ozekhome, admitted that the former governor had returned.
He declined further comments, saying, �Yes, the former governor is back. I can�t say more than this.�
The Media Consultant to the former Vice-President, Mallam Garba Shehu, confirmed that Abubakar visited Alamieyeseigha in a Dubai hospital.
He said, �If somebody is ill in a hospital and he is taken out of the country, what is wrong in visiting that person? Alamieyeseigha, I understand, has been visited by so many people. I won�t deny that the ex-VP visited him.
�Whether anybody likes it or not, that man is a leader in his community and in this country.
�Abubakar also visits so many other people. What�s wrong in the ex-VP visiting Alamieyeseigha?�
Alamieyeseigha, who was removed from office on December 9, 2005, is standing trial for a 40-count charge of money laundering, illegal acquisition of properties and false declaration of assets.
While awaiting trial in EFCC custody, he developed complications arising from a previous surgery in Germany in 2005.
The development forced the anti-graft commission to approach a Federal High Court on April 23, 2007 for permission to take the former governor to Dubai for treatment on compassionate grounds.
In an application by one of its counsel, Mr. Femi Aina, the commission made a commitment to ensure adequate medical care for the former governor.
The commission averred that the UAE Embassy had, in two letters on April 10 and 19, put security in place to protect the former governor in Dubai.
The court said that the EFCC could take Alamieyeseigha to Dubai.
The presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Shuaibu, had said that since the EFCC had demonstrated its willingness to treat Alamieyeseigha, the court had no objection.
The judge subsequently adjourned the trial of Alamieyeseigha to September 24.
Although Alamieyeseigha had been in Dubai since April 25, it was learnt that the EFCC was no longer comfortable with his conduct.