Convicted Nigerian Ex-Governor Ibori Faces Confiscation Of Over £100Million To UK Government Or Risk Another Jail Term
A state prosecutor on Thursday asked a London court to order the confiscation of more than 100 million pounds ($129 million) from Nigerian politician and ex-Delta State governor, James Ibori, a convicted fraudster who spent years in prison in Britain.
SaharaReporters broke the news of Ibori’s transfer to the UK in 2011 after he was arrested from his Dubai home by the UAE security.
Ibori arrived in the UK via Heathrow airport after the London Metropolitan Police foiled his plot to evade his impending trial in the UK. Upon arrival he was taken to London police station and processed for his appearance in court. Ibori was subsequently slammed with 25 counts of money laundering and fraud.
With its highly developed financial and legal services and lucrative property market, Britain is a global money-laundering hub, but it is rare for the foreign kleptocrats it attracts to be prosecuted and Ibori’s case remains an outlier.
After more than a decade of legal wrangling and court delays, attempts by prosecutors to confiscate funds considered to be the benefits of Ibori’s criminality now appear close to conclusion.
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