After
he was released from prison, former Nigerian Governor who stole
billions of naira from his state has thanked God for his life.
James Ibori after he was released from UK prison
Former Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori who was released
from UK prison yesterday has said he holds no grudges against anyone.
'The good and the bad, I love them all, I hold no grudges against any one', he said at the prayer session held in his house in UK.
He was welcome by many of his people who came all the way from
Delta to jubiliate with him. He further stated that he was happy today
for the life of Hon. Odebala, just as Jesus told his disciple follow me
and become fishers of men, Chief James Onanefe Ibori called Hon. Odebala
follow me from a buka ( mama put restaurant) and become somebody in
life, be political relevant.
Songs were raised to glorify the name of the lord for His
faithfulness and love towards the Urhobo son cum political Icon in
Nigeria.
A History of James Ibori and how he was convicted of fraud.
James Onanefe Ibori, former governor of Nigeria’s oil rich Delta
state, has been sentenced to thirteen years in jail by a London Judge
for stealing government funds in Nigeria.
The sentence brings to an end the ex-governor’s long road to jail
and earns him the repute of the first Nigerian politician to get a jail
sentence abroad for stealing [public funds – an act which has become an
open pass-time for Nigerian politicians.
This is the third time Mr Ibori, a serial thief, got sentenced for theft in London.
Mr Ibori gets the latest sentence for stealing at least $250
million of public funds within the period he served as governor of the
wealthy Delta state.
After listening to the prosecutor reel out Mr. Ibori’s crimes, his
counsel, Nicholas Purnell, apparently to Ibori’s astonishment, entered a
plea strategy – begging the judge to be lenient with his client’s
punishment. Mr Purnell cited Ibori’s accomplishments while serving as
governor of the state he admitted looting.
Ibori’s lawyer credited him for every development in Nigeria, from
banking reforms, peace in the Niger Delta to improved bilateral
relations between the UK and Nigeria.
Like the prosecutor, Mr Purnell admitted Mr. Ibori stole money from
his people in the V-Mobile shares deal he brokered with the Akwa Ibom
state government but blamed the then Akwa Ibom state governor, Victor
Attah, and Ibori’s former lawyer – and conduit for the stolen wealth –
Bhaderesh Gohil, for luring him into the crime.
John Fashanu, ex-footballer and a close pal of Ibori, was also in
court and testified to Ibori’s goodness in character and sports
development.
The judge, after listening to the prosecutor the previous day, described Ibori’s several frauds as “sensational.”
Mr. Ibori is the last of his friends and family to be jailed for his thefts as governor of the oil-rich Delta state.
His wife, sister and mistress have been convicted of
money-laundering in the UK and are serving various terms in prisons. His
solicitor, Gohil, was also jailed for 10 years for helping syphon the
money Mr. Ibori stole.
In addition to the prison terms, the Judge said Ibori’s sentencing
is not the end of matter as his property will be confiscated and
consequences may arise thereafter.
In 2007, a UK court froze assets allegedly belonging to him worth
$35m after he failed to justify buying the property with his annual
salary as Delta state governor of less than $25,000.
Both the prosecutors and Ibori’s counsel admitted before the judge
that he collaborated with a former governor in Nigeria, Victor Attah,
the then governor of Akwa Ibom state.
The lawyers told the judge repeatedly that the two former governors
formed a phantom company called ADF to siphon US$37.5million from Delta
and Akwa Ibom states’ shares in V-Mobile – a Nigerian telecom company.
While Ibori’s former solicitor, Gohil, was jailed for 10 years for
helping syphon the money Ibori stole, Nigerian officials said they have
no case against Mr Attah, raising concerns about Nigeria’s ability to
punish corrupt politicians.
“We have no case against him – Victor Attah,” Wilson Uwujaren, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission spokesman said.
He said the commission “will wait for the court ruling first,”
before considering drawing up charges against him. Inept corruption
fight in Nigeria Ibori is the first of the numerous ex-governors – and
other top politicians – charged with stealing public funds that will
serve jail term.
“That is almost impossible in Nigeria with its anti-corruption agencies, EFCC and ICPC,” Wilson Attah, a lawyer in Abuja said.
Lucky Igbenedion, former governor of Edo state is the first
Nigerian ex-governor convicted of looting public funds. The EFCC charged
him with 142 counts of corruption amounting to $24 million (£12m) using
front companies.
Lucky entered a plea bargain with the commission in 2008 and
refunded a fraction of the amount he was said to have embezzled – and
went home.
None of his ex-governors mate, with similar charges got to that point again in a Nigerian court.