By John Ikani
A plea for a substantial confiscation of funds from Nigerian politician James Ibori, totalling over 100 million pounds ($129 million), has been made by a state prosecutor in a London court on Thursday.
Ibori, a former governor of Delta State in Nigeria, was extradited to London in 2011, where he faced charges related to money laundering and corrupt acquisition of wealth.
In 2012, he admitted guilt on ten counts of fraud and money laundering, receiving a significant 13-year jail sentence, a moment hailed by Britain as a crucial milestone in the fight against corruption.
Despite being recognized as a global hub for financial and legal services with a flourishing property market, Britain rarely prosecutes the foreign kleptocrats it attracts, making Ibori’s case an exceptional outlier.
After years of legal battles and court delays, efforts by prosecutors to seize funds linked to Ibori’s criminal activities seem to be drawing to a close.
Judge David Tomlinson of Southwark Crown Court has already made factual determinations about the funds in question.
During a recent hearing, both sides presented their arguments concerning the calculation of the confiscation amount, taking into account the judge’s findings.
The formal order is expected to be issued by the judge on Friday or shortly thereafter.
Lead prosecution counsel Jonathan Kinnear asserted that Ibori should have 101.5 million pounds confiscated, and failure to comply could result in a prison sentence ranging from five to ten years.
Ibori served half of his prison sentence in pre- and post-trial detention, as is customary, and returned to Nigeria in 2017.
On Thursday, he was absent from the hearing, stating through a text message to Reuters his intention to challenge the confiscation order.
Despite his conviction, Ibori remains influential and well-connected in Nigerian politics.
He has been hosted twice at the presidential villa by President Bola Tinubu, who assumed office in May, alongside other former governors.
The UK has promised to return any recovered funds from Ibori to Nigeria.
In a previous instance in 2021, 4.2 million pounds were returned to the country, having been confiscated from Ibori’s ex-wife and sister, who also faced jail time for their involvement in money laundering. ($1 = 0.7745 pounds)
