James Ibori released from London Prison – Reports

James Ibori
James Ibori

Reports out of London on Wednesday indicate that convicted former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, has been released from custody after completing a 13-year jail term.

Private radio, Ray Power FM, said in a news update on Wednesday afternoon that Mr. Ibori, a former governor of Delta State, was released following a court order that declined a British government’s request for an extension of his prison remand.

Although his spokesman, Tony Eluemunor, declined to confirm the development to PREMIUM TIMES Wednesdayafternoon, an online newspaper, The Will, reported that Mr. Ibori had been released but will not be allowed to travel outside the United Kingdom for the time being.

“THEWILL can, however, report that Ibori, who was in court for the suit will have to reside at his St. John’s Wood residence ONLY and will report to the police once weekly,” the paper said.

The UK Home Office had opposed Mr. Ibori’s release, citing inconclusive business in the asset forfeiture proceedings against the corrupt former governor.

Mr. Ibori was jailed on April 17, 2012, for 13 years. That was the third time the former governor, described as a thief in Government House, got sentenced for theft in London.

He is alleged to have stolen more than $250 million from the treasury of the oil-rich Delta State, plunging even more of his people into abject poverty and deprivation. The ex-governor is expected to be prosecuted by the anti-graft EFCC when he returns to Nigeria.

Some of his stolen cash and assets were later stashed away in offshore tax havens as revealed by PREMIUM TIMES’ series on Panama Papers published earlier this year.

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  • Kay Soyemi (Esq.)

    The Aso-Ebi will soon be out for the sycophants to sew and wear in order to please the very same person who has impoverished them.

    I am only comforted that the law of double jeopardy will not be applicable here and hope the current EFCC headship will do the necessary and arrest him upon arrival into the country.

    He needs to face proper justice and sentencing in this country so that he can feel some of the hardship he his actions and thefts has inflicted upon his own people.

    • Lenz

      My brother, only Aso-Ebi?
      They will close down Asaba the day that man enters the city… The very person who stole them naked…
      That is Nigeria for you…

      • paul irumundomon

        If Nigerians don’t start to attack these criminals, their children will use their stolen money to destroy our children. Forget about the law, take the laws into your hands, fight for the future of your children.

        • Apostel

          “Forget about the law, take the laws into your hands”. We’ve been doing this for 53 years!

          • paul irumundomon

            We have not done it, the right way. Once we go after those who betrayed us, those who took advantages on these betrayers, will begin to find where to hide. We all live in the same communities, you don’t need transport money to go and hunt them down in another city. We share common boundary, they use generator 24/7 and they have security, one in the morning and another at night.
            There must be anarchy for a long time, for nigeria to return to normal. We must all fight to get this freedom and quality. The justice system has failed all of us. Those who enjoyed the empty vacuum, must all pay, we all have nothing very special anymore to loose.

        • Julius

          Now, we are talking. Thank you sir !!!

    • Julius

      lol@As0-Ebi. You may be right bro. No , there is no double jeopardy here. He was convicted in the UK, not in Nigeria. Efcc might meet and pick him up at the airport and ask him a few questions after all the money he laundered in the UK belongs to Nigerians. We shall see.

      • Kay Soyemi (Esq.)

        This will also be a test of the current administration’s resolve to tackling corruption.

        God knows I have decided to hold my judgement on the Buhari government till 2019, but if Ibori comes and join the APC, as it is being rumoured he might, and he is not prosecuted, I’ll make a full volte face against the government and Party and campaign vigorously against their removal from power.

        Last time I checked KOWA Party is still in existence.

        • Gidi

          At least, you are more patient than i am, when it comes to APC led government. I have long given up on Buhari led administration since the summer. I don’t think anything will change from current trajectory. It will be more motion without concrete result to show for it.

          I am more interested in the economy, but given all indication, Nigeria will continue to suffer until there is change in direction from CBN and Aso Rock.

          The sad part is that I am paying the heavy price by subsidizing family members i asked to vote for APC led government. The next election cannot come soon enough.

        • Julius

          If they allow him to join their party, bro I will be done with them. I will join you and others in campaigning against them. Mark my word. It will be insane if they let him.

          • Kay Soyemi (Esq.)

            Bruv, it’ll be a sad day, but Nigeria comes first.

          • Julius

            For me, that’s 100% correct and reading your comments says the same about you. God bless !

          • Kay Soyemi (Esq.)

            And you too, Bruv.

      • Fred Duke

        And then the case would be taken to court who would go back and forth for 20 years until Ibori leaves this world and gets buried as a king

        • Julius

          You may be right but, I hope not. I’m keeping the hope alive.

    • Man_Enough

      they will roll out the drums to welcome their hero.

  • Alfred Ononame

    James Ibori:

    Welcome, the King of Delta state! You can now demand the cheque books of the Delta state treasury
    from your loyal servant Governor Okowa and do whatever you like with the treasury again because
    the people of Delta State are educated for nothing and do not know that slavery means the falling
    down before an ex-convict. Delta state people do not desire freedom because they do not know
    they are slaves. For only those who have sense to know they are slaves will fight to be free.

    • www.electionoffenders.ng

      Sir, not just Delta people but the entire nation.

      • Apostel

        yep, that’s a fact.

  • paul irumundomon

    Apc will absolve him, then all crimes will be trashed. That is the law in Nigeria.

  • Watch man

    The moment he returns his people will throw party and celebrate him. It is in a place like Nigeria that people celebrate and reward corruption. So shameful!

    • Fred Duke

      That is why this nation continues to be the way it is. We celebrate corruption.

  • Dazmillion

    We should do more of outsourcing our corruptions cases that is the only way prison sentences are guaranteed for the kind of die hard criminals we have in this country and considering the mess called the Nigerian judiciary. Imagine if Saraki’s corruption case was outsourced to the UK, by now the man will be cooling his heels at wandsworth prison

    • A Aminu

      Whatever the outsourced judges can do, our judges are capable of doing. We only need to be more serious in checking the judges, unless if you are suggesting we also outsource the checking of our judges. The NJC which is saddled with the responsibility to check these judges have let us down. I remember reading an article which question where do Nigerian judges find time to party. In the olden days, you don’t see no judge at public functions, no matter how and what.

  • OGK

    For enlightenment sake, the man is only out on tag if indeed he has been released. He was only let home to decongest the prison. Check his ankle, there is an electronic tag there and a radius of movement has been defined for him. Also, he has a particular time he must report back to the residence he was tagged to. Any breach of this would result in infringement and his sentence would be elongated. So do not be fooled, Onanefe, the stealing kingpin of Delta is only out on tag.

    • osastemi

      Everything have a beginning so this is the beginning of his freedom

  • Olu from South Africa

    Why PT is using this kind of picture? Why not his mugshot? Everything on his body here must have been bought with stolen money.