Peter Odili's benefactor, Justice Buba, grants Ibori freedom from arrest - from his car!

As revealed last week by Saharareporters, James Ibori, the notorious and serial money-launderer recently declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has obtained an injunction from the Federal High Court in Asaba to prevent the EFCC from arresting or further harassing him. 
The interesting twist to the injunction obtained by Ibori yesterday is that it was granted to him by Justice Ibrahim Buba, the same judge that awarded the perpetual injunction that has so far prevented the EFCC from arresting or investigating Peter Odili, the former governor of Rivers State. In Odili’s case, the EFCC appealed the injunction only after the period for challenging it had passed.

Saharareporters’ has also found out that Justice Buba was posted to the Federal High Court, Asaba, only two weeks ago, on April 1, in what a source described as a “calculated posting” to the Delta State capital. And not only had Justice Buba not officially assumed duty in Asaba before he granted the injunction, a judicial source told Saharareporters that Justice Buba answered Ibori’s deepest wishes by casually granting the said injunction from his car.

Saharareporters has also learned that Justice Buba is a direct swap with Justice Marcel Awokulehin, who has left for Buba’s former job in Lafia, Nassarawa State, in a ghastly commercialization of justice.  Justice Awokulehin’s next contribution to the process would be to grant similar largesse to the former Governor of Nasarawa state Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu  and Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu by quashing EFCC 149-count charges of money laundering involving the theft of N15 billion against him, a process already begun by Justice Buba before his recent posting.

Since leaving office in 2007, Ibori has exercised strong control over the nation’s judiciary, either to avoid prosecution, or to escape conviction. As Saharareporters has meticulously documented, the former Chief Judge created the Federal High Court in Asaba for the purpose of serving Ibori’s judicial needs. 

Eventually, Justice Mercel Awokulehin was also put in place for the purpose of ensuring that Ibori did not go to jail.  That objective was infamously achieved last November when, according to the script, Awokulehin acquitted Ibori of the 170-count money laundering he faced.  The Delta State government, which is run by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, whom Ibori sponsored to the job, paid for the court building. Uduaghan bought the court building from a serving Delta State commissioner for Lands and Survey, Barrister Raymond Guana, who served as Ibori’s Special Adviser on local governments while he was governor of Delta State and "donated" it to the Federal High Court.  It would be recalled that one year ago, in Umaru Yar’Adua’s interview with The Guardian, he said that the former governors were his friends and he could not abandon them. 

The National Judicial Commission also recently dismissed a well written petition sent to it by a UK-based Nigerian attorney, Osita Mba, where he had asked the body to probe Justice Buba's perpetual injunction granted Odili.

[Below is our story of Monday, March 5]:



James Ibori to receive perpetual injunction from the Federal High Court Asaba
Monday, 05 April 2010 10:00

James Ibori, the former Delta State Governor who has fled into hiding last week, shuttling between Asaba and his village, Oghara, is on the verge of obtaining a monumental court injunction permanently putting him out of reach of the law.  The injunction would restrain the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from arresting him in the style of Peter Odili, the former Rivers State governor who enjoys the same freedom.

The embattled former Delta State governor was to be arrested last week by the EFCC over new corruption charges brought against him regarding how he used Delta State government monies to procure bank shares that ended up being converted to his private use. However, the EFCC chairperson, Farida Waziri, who is herself facing charges of corruption and professional incompetence on account of her handling of the EFCC, tipped Ibori off about the new development, thereby enabling him to get out of town.

Mrs. Waziri reportedly told Ibori that she was being forced by Jonathan’s aides to arrest and charge him afresh on the new allegations. Ibori then left Abuja for Lagos and subsequently hid in Asaba under the protection of his cousin, Emmanuel Uduaghan, who replaced him Delta State governor.   Uduaghan was his commissioner while Ibori looted the state between 1999 and 2007.

Saharareporters sources in Asaba revealed that Ibori has already surrounded his village with some miscreants who are charged with preventing his arrest.  If the police seize Ibori, they will threaten to blow up oil pipelines.

Ibori’s new ordeal may get more complicated as the United Kingdom authorities are said to be waiting for the naming of a new Attorney-General of the Federation.  They would re-present extradition requests which would see Ibori joining his sister, mistress, wife and personal secretary in London where they are undergoing trial for money laundering currently.

Another source close to the former governor said he is actively considering going into exile in Brazil if efforts to stave off arrest do not work, and if Jonathan brings back former EFCC chairman, Nuhu Ribadu.

Several news stories have indicated that Jonathan is considering bringing Ribadu back to Nigeria to serve as his special adviser on anti-corruption and good governance.  Such a development could be Ibori’s worst nightmare.

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