According to Urhobo Today publication, a London court has rejected former Delta State Governor James Ibori’s appeal seeking to reduce a £101.5 million ($136.05 million) asset confiscation order imposed on him following his conviction for fraud and money laundering in the United Kingdom.
The UK Court of Appeal on Tuesday dismissed arguments by Ibori’s lawyer seeking to reduce the confiscation order by approximately £4.3 million.
The decision clears the way for British authorities to enforce the confiscation order, which was issued by a lower London criminal court in 2023, unless Ibori takes a further appeal to the Supreme Court.
The £101.5 million order is among the largest asset confiscation orders imposed on an individual in British legal history.
Speaking to Reuters after the ruling, Ibori said he was consulting his lawyers to determine his next legal steps.
He complained about the length of the legal battle, saying, “It has been a very long time since my troubles started. Give me a break.”
Ibori, who governed Delta State between 1999 and 2007, was convicted in Britain in 2012 after admitting to laundering tens of millions of dollars in stolen public funds through British banks and properties.
He pleaded guilty to 10 counts of fraud and money laundering at Southwark Crown Court in London and was sentenced to 13 years in prison.
The conviction followed investigations into his financial activities by Nigerian and British anti-corruption authorities.
After leaving office in 2007, Ibori became the subject of corruption investigations in Nigeria. He later travelled to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from where he was arrested and extradited to Britain in 2011.
He spent more than four years in British custody, taking into account his pre-trial detention, and was released in late 2016. He returned to Nigeria in early 2017.
During his time as governor, Ibori was one of the most influential politicians in Nigeria, largely because of Delta State’s importance as a major oil-producing state.
Despite his conviction and imprisonment in Britain, he has remained politically influential in Delta State and has maintained links with prominent political figures, including occasional access to President Bola Tinubu.
The confiscation proceedings against him are aimed at recovering assets linked to the proceeds of his corruption offences. His latest appeal had delayed enforcement of the £101.5 million order.
SOURCE: Urhobo Today
