UK to Return Ex Delta Governor Ibori’s £6.8m of Loot to Nigeria

The UK government is to return  an additional 6.8 million pounds of the  confiscated loot of former Delta Governor, James Ibori, to Nigeria.

Rupert Broad, UK Metropolitan Police Senior Investigator, disclosed this in London on Tuesday at a meeting on “Supporting Policing in Nigeria: What Role for Police in the Nigerian Diaspora” held in the House of Commons.

While speaking  on UK and Nigeria’s anti-corruption partnership, Broad said “out of the eight million pounds confiscated from Ibori, 1.2 million pounds had so far been retuned to Nigeria, while the rest was waiting for redistribution as to when it would be sent back to Nigeria.”

He also said that an additional 80 million pounds had been temporarily confiscated from Ibori and his associates, including Patrice Gohil, one of his lawyers.

“Approximately, 80 million pounds is temporarily frozen and a confiscation hearing has been fixed for April 2015, where the judge will determine how much was stolen, after which it would be returned to Nigeria.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the British Southcrown  Court in April 2012  sentenced  Ibori  to 13 years jail term for fraud and money laundering.

Broad, who attributed the success of the Ibori case to partnership with the nation’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC), said “the case signified Nigeria’s commitment to the fight corruption.

“In light of the Ibori case, Nigeria has done a fantastic job in tackling corruption.

“Corruption does not go away easily,  addressing it requires continuous process and the UK Metropolitan Police  will continue to collaborate with Nigerian authorities on cross border international investigation.”

Similarly, Nsikan Etuk, the Director of the UK Nigeria Police Forum, said that the diaspora was a powerful tool for the reformation of the nation’s police force.

Etuk, who spoke on “Supporting Policing in Nigeria”, expressed the commitment of the Forum in collaborating with government in tackling challenges impeding efficiency in policing in the country.

He said that the Forum, whose membership included serving and retired police personnel, was established following challenges facing  the Nigerian community in the UK.

In the same vein, Kunle  Bamgbose, the Nigerian Deputy High Commissioner to the UK, said the nation’s police officers were among the brightest in Africa, adding that they were only impeded  by operational challenges.

He said “inadequate equipment such as communication gadgets, the lack of efficient forensic laboratories  and other logistic problems are some of the challenges facing the police force.”

Bamgbose, however, said “it is difficult to impose UK policing culture in Nigeria because the environments are different.”

According to him, partnership in training and capacity building of officers will be an ideal area of collaboration.

The meeting, which had participants from the Nigerian community, was chaired by Meg Hillier, the Chair of the UK All Party Parliamentary Group on Nigeria.

Source: NAN

Stolen Public Funds: Ibori May Not Pay a Penny Back

A former Wickes cashier who became a Nigerian state governor and defrauded £157 million of public funds to live a lavish lifestyle may not have to pay a single penny back.

James Ibori, 51, is said to have personally pocketed £50 million of cash stolen from the west African nation’s oil-rich Delta State during his eight-year tenure.
The former £5,000-a-year Wickes cashier blew millions on luxury homes, a £12.6 million private jet, fees at some of the UK’s most expensive boarding schools for his children, first-class travel and exclusive hotels.
He owned a £600,000 fleet of armoured Range Rovers, a £120,000 Bentley and a £340,000 Mercedes Maybach that was shipped direct to his £3.2million mansion in Johannesburg.

Delta govt, FG battle over Ibori’s $15m

ABUJA — The Delta State Government has gone before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to challenge moves by the Federal Government to claim the $15 million allegedly given to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, by the jailed former Governor of the State, Chief James Ibori, who left ofice  in 2007.
The state, via an application by its Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Chief Charles Ajuyah, SAN, argued that the alleged money legitimately belongs to it, even as it urged the high court to issue an order, remitting the fund to the Delta State treasury.

It will be recalled that the Federal Government had on July 24, filed an ex-parte motion before the same court, wherein it sought to take possession of the money, which is equivalent of N150 million.