$15million Cash Bribe:
‘Ibori, ex-Delta Governor Faces Arrest in Nigeria, I Will Testify Against Him’-Nuhu Ribadu, former EFCC Chairman
…Attorney General of Federation fast-tracks Deportation Process with Met Police in UK
*Panic Hits Ibori’s camp over Buhari’s non-corrupt posture
BY OKECHUKWU OBINNA/ANTI-GRAFT STAFF WRITER, ABUJA
CERTAINLY the travails of a former two-time governor of oil-rich Delta State, James Onanefe Ibori, released from United Kingdom prison after his jail term, having been placed under ‘House Arrest’ in London is far from over, as Nigeria’s apex anti-graft agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has officially re-opened his corrupt-dossier with water-tight plans to arrest, prosecute and possibly jail him when found guilty in the court of law.
According to few top aides in the office of Nigeria’s Minister of Justice, correspondences had long been exchanged between the AGF office and Metropolitan Police in United Kingdom while Ibori was serving his jail term in the Queen’s enclave to have him deported.
Corroborating this view, the pioneer Chairman of EFCC, Nuhu Ribadu revealed that he is ready to testify against this ex-convict ex-governor, known as a money-bag for Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Nigeria’s main opposition political party on his deportation to Nigeria by next month.
According to report, the Federal Government is set to re-arrest Ibori, who recently regained his freedom from UK prison over an alleged $15million bribe he gave to the former EFCC boss. Recall that Mr. Ribadu had in 2007, accused Mr. Ibori of giving him the money in order to prevent a case against him
Ribadu recently said: “Ibori approached me with $15m to stop his investigation. The money was brought in sacks. I called my people because the money was in big bags, which two people could not carry and we deposited it in the CBN as evidence against him.”
In spite of the fact that Ribadu has been listed as a key witness against Ibori, who the Federal Government is attempting to repatriate from the United Kingdom, however, the former EFCC boss reportedly said he was not aware that the office of the Attorney- general of the federation had listed him as a witness in the Ibori case.
Expressing his readiness to testify, the former EFCC boss stressed that if he is invited then he is ready to testify against the former Delta state governor, he said: “I am not aware. But if I am asked to testify, I will. But like I told you, nobody has contacted me.”
It was gathered that apprehension, fear and confusion is now trailing the Ibori’s camp in UK consisting of friends, business associates and hangers-on wondering if their benefactor (Ibori) would truly breathe air of freedom in Nigeria after the deportation due to President Muhammadu Buhari’s non-corrupt stance.
