While some Deltans are busy celebrating the return of their ex convict governor, Chief James Onanefe Ibori, the United Kingdom Government, on Sunday, February 5, 2017, dealt their hero another devastating blow.
Accusing Ibori of stealing millions of Delta people’s money, facing trial, then jailed and ultimately deported, they are obviously surprised about all the drama that is still unfolding and unfurling in the state since the man’s return. Thus, this statement:
“Having been jailed for his crimes in the UK and served his sentence, Mr. Ibori has now been returned to Nigeria. The UK will continue to pursue, vigorously, the legal process to confiscate and return to Nigeria, Ibori’s criminal assets. The UK is determined to lead the way in a coordinated global effort to bring the corrupt to justice.
“That is why it was vital we sent a clear message to the world that James Ibori, a man who stole millions from the Nigerian Government and laundered those proceeds in the UK, has been held to account. Mr. Ibori’s return will not prevent prosecutors from pursuing confiscation proceedings against him.”
Notable Deltans, among them, Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa and Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, it would be recalled, have been pouring into Ibori’s Oghara country home since his return on Saturday, and after being quizzed briefly by the DSS.