UK Police Confirm Ibori’s Arrest

UK authorities moments ago confirmed to SaharaReporters that Mr. James Onafefe Ibori, the 47 year-old former governor of Delta State, was detained in Dubai yesterday at the instance of the London Metropolitan Police.
In a statement to our correspondent, a UK police spokesman said that Ibori was being detained by the Dubai police on suspicion of “money laundering and conspiracy to defraud.”

 The press bureau officer who spoke to Saharareporters also confirmed that Ibori will appear in court in Dubai first, where the UK authorities would commence extradition proceedings to ensure that he is brought to answer charges in the United Kingdom for money laundering and other criminal offences for which his associates are currently standing trial before the Southwark Crown Court in London.

The government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed an extradition treaty and mutual legal assistance with the UK in 2008.

Also, Saharareporters can confirm that officials of the Nigerian Ministry of Justice met in Abuja yesterday with UK officials to discuss Ibori’s matter. Our sources revealed that Nigerian officials gave documents related to Ibori's case to the UK authorities. Nigeria’s former rogue attorney general, Michael Aondoakaa, had earlier blocked the release of the documents, said to be vital for Ibori’s eventual prosecution in London as well as the trial of more of his associates in the UK.

Speaking to Saharareporters this morning from Abuja, a furious official of the State Security Service (SSS) stated, “It’s an indictment of us that we couldn’t net Chief Ibori and it took the combined efforts of Dubai and UK police to nab him.” The SSS source added, “It’s an open secret that, despite repeated claims by EFCC declaring Chief Ibori wanted, the man was aided by top law enforcement men and women to flee the country. You can’t tell me that Ibori could find his way to Dubai without the EFCC and our people knowing about it.”

 
Our sources in Asaba, the Delta State capital, revealed that Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, Ibori’s cousin and anointed successor, was in a panic mood. Uduaghan is scheduled to lead a delegation of Delta officials and traditional rulers to commiserate with President Goodluck Jonathan over the recent death of former Nigerian ruler, Umaru Yar’adua, but it was not clear as at press time whether the condolence visit will go forward.

Our sources also said that there was a mournful mood among the friends and former business associates of Ibori, a flashy man who gave himself the title of “Ogidigbodigbo of Africa.”

The Yar’adua administration, through former AGF Aondoakaa and EFCC chair Farida Waziri, had worked to sabotage Ibori’s prosecution in Nigerian courts. A kangaroo court set up especially for Ibori, financed by the Delta State government, and presided over by a corrupt judge, Marcel Awokulehin, had dismissed more than 150 counts of corruption and money laundering preferred against the former governor.

Ibori had spent more than N10 billion of funds looted from his state to finance Yar’adua’s campaign, hence the deceased ruler’s commitment to shield Ibori from credible prosecution.

A source in London stated that UK authorities were looking forward to putting Ibori in the dock to answer to charges of massive money laundering using UK banks and financial institutions.

 Once Ibori is extradited to the UK, he will be reunited with his embattled former mistress, Udoamaka Okoronkwo, his wife, Theresa Nkoyo Ibori, his sister, Christine Ebie-Ibori, and his former personal assistant, Ms. Adebimpe Pogoson. One of his UK lawyers is also awaiting trial for aiding Ibori in money laundering schemes.

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