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The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, on Wednesday showered praises on James Ibori, a former governor of Delta State who was jailed in the United Kingdom in 2012 for fraud and money laundering involving millions of pounds stolen from state funds.
Mr Akpabio extolled the former governor’s virtues when he accompanied newly elected senators to the chamber to take their oath of office.
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PREMIUM TIMES reported that two new senators were inaugurated earlier on Wednesday.
The senate president specifically described Mr Ibori as “an amiable character,” “a leader of leaders,” and “a political colossus” whom many Nigerian politicians admire.
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“Let me start from Chief James Ibori, former governor of Delta State. He is a political colossus, a leader of leaders, an amiable character, a man we all admire and respect,” Mr Akpabio said while welcoming him to the chamber.
Mr Ibori served as Delta State governor from 1999 to 2007. After his tenure, he was accused of stealing large sums of public money, diverting state funds to purchase properties, luxury vehicles, and other assets.
In 2010, he was arrested in Dubai and extradited to the UK, where he faced trial. In February 2012, he pleaded guilty to 10 counts of conspiracy to defraud, money laundering, false accounting, and making false instruments.
Part of the fraud included the sale of Delta State’s shares in mobile operator V-Mobile for about $37 million (£23 million).
On 17 April 2012, the Southwark Crown Court in London sentenced Mr Ibori to 13 years in prison for laundering nearly £50 million. He served about half of the sentence, in line with UK release practices, and was freed around 2016.
Beyond his jail term, UK courts have continued to pursue the recovery of his illicit assets. In 2023, a London judge ordered him to forfeit £101.5 million (US$130 million) or face another eight years in prison.
Authorities seized multiple assets linked to Mr Ibori, including several bank accounts, over ten properties worldwide, a £5 million mansion in Abuja, luxury cars such as a Bentley and Maybach, and a Bombardier Challenger jet.
In March 2021, the UK and Nigerian governments signed an agreement to return £4.2 million (US$5.8 million) recovered from his associates, to Nigeria. The funds were earmarked for infrastructure projects such as roads and bridges.
However, many Nigerians believe that only a fraction of the money stolen during his tenure has been recovered.
Despite his ordeal, Mr Ibori still retains some influence in Delta politics. In 2007, his cousin, Emmanuel Uduaghan, succeeded him as governor and served for two terms.
In 2015, another member of his political family, Ifeanyi Okowa, became the state governor. His plan to install one of his proteges, David Edevbie, in 2023 failed as Mr Okowa preferred the incumbent, Sheriff Oborevwori, as his successor.
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However, his daughter, Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, was elected into the House of Representatives to represent Ethiope federal constituency of Delta State.
Akpabio wanted standing ovation for Ibori
While eulogising the former governor, Mr Akpabio said he would have preferred that senators give Mr Ibori a standing ovation, but noted that Senate rules do not permit such gestures during plenary sessions.
“Sir, you’re welcome to the chamber of the 10th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Unfortunately, we don’t clap here, we would have given you a standing ovation,” the senate president said.
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