TheCable

The family of Aisha Falode has criticised the federal government for its swift response to the death of Oyamuyefa Alamieyeseigha with the lukewarm attitude towards earlier cases of Nigerians murdered abroad.

Aisha Falode is the mother of late Toba (Tyler) Falode, who was murdered on February 15, 2014, in hazy circumstances in Dubai, while Oyamuyefa is the son of erstwhile governor of Bayelsa state, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha

In a statement signed by Festus Keyamo, Falode’s lawyer, the mother of the late Toba expressed sadness at the news of Oyamuyefa’s death and prayed that God grants the Alamieyeseigha family the strength and fortitude to bear the loss.

She commended the swiftness with which the federal government responded to “the sad and painful news” with a call on the UAE authorities to fish out the killers of Oyamuyefa, but lamented the lukewarm attitude of the government towards earlier cases of Nigerians murdered abroad, such as that of Toba, which has emboldened foreigners to snuff the lives out of Nigerians living abroad without scruple.

“Whilst this action of the federal government is commendable, it smacks of double standards,” the statement said.

“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?”

Falode further observed that if the federal government had shown more interest in the case of Toba, the precious life of Oyamuyefa Alamieyeseigha might have been saved.

“We hope this is a bitter lesson to the federal government and we hereby reiterate 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,” she said.