ubilant friends and relatives of James Ibori had their celebrations cut short when the London Metropolitan Police yesterday confirmed that the former Delta State governor's movements are still restricted.
Alex Stephens of the directorate of public affairs of the Met, in a telephone interview, stated that Mr. Ibori could not travel out of the United Arab Emirates as his passport had been seized. "We are told that he was released for medical treatment," she said. "But the UAE authorities have retained his passport and other identity documents. So he cannot travel out of the country."
After the announcement of Mr. Ibori's release, wild festivities began in Oghara, Mr. Ibori's hometown, and other parts of Delta State, with freedom parties arranged in honour of the former governor who is wanted in the UK and in Nigeria on corruption and money laundering charges. Mr. Ibori was, on Saturday morning, set free from detention by a Dubai court in the United Arab Emirates.
The former governor, who is facing a deportation request from the London Metropolitan Police, was freed on health grounds. The health of the former governor is said to have deteriorated while in detention, and he is reportedly suffering from high blood pressure. A senior government official, who did not want to be named, however stated that the decision was purely that of the Dubai justice official. The judgement of the Dubai court "does not have anything to do with the charges Ibori is facing here," he said, adding that he did not believe Mr. Ibori would return to Nigeria from Dubai.
UK still wants him
While Mr. Ibori struggles to regain his freedom in Dubai where he was arrested in May 2010, the Metropolitan Police insist that he still has a case to answer in the UK. Ms. Stephens stated that efforts were still on to ensure Mr. Ibori's extradition from the UAE. "His extradition process is still on course," she said. "The UAE has its own process, and we are working with the authorities there on the matter."
On when Mr. Ibori might be extradited, Ms. Stephens said: "We can't put a timeframe to it because this is happening between two international judicial jurisdictions."
The former governor was declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after resisting arrest in Oghara in April 2010. The anti-graft agency has accused him of misappropriating Delta State funds to the tune of N40 billion while he was governor between 1999 and 2007. The London Metropolitan Police are also accusing Mr. Ibori of money laundering in the UK.
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| The health of the former governor is said to have deteriorated while in detention and he is reportedly suffering from high blood pressure. Photo: NAN |
Days of reckoning
On June 8, 2010, Christine Ibori-Ibie, the only surviving sister of James Ibori, and Udoamaka Okoronkwo-Onuigbo, an associate, were sentenced to five years each in prison by Judge Christopher Hardy of a Southwark London Crown Court. The sentence followed the June 1 and 2, 2010 court rulings that found Ms. Ibori-Ibie and Ms. Okoronkwo-Onuigbo guilty of charges of money laundering and mortgage fraud. Also, on November 23, Mr. Ibori's wife, Theresa Ibori, was sentenced to jail for five years by a London jury after she was found guilty on a two-count charge of money laundering. Found guilty also on a similar charge was Mr. Ibori's attorney, Bhadresh Gohil, who was on trial with the former governor's wife. Mr. Ibori was arrested in the UAE by the International Police (INTERPOL) on May 14 after he was declared wanted by the EFCC for allegedly mismanaging N528 million shares of Delta State with Oceanic Bank a month before his arrest in the UAE, after evading arrest in Nigeria.
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