£18M PROCEEDS OF CRIME:
James Ibori, Nigeria’s Former Governor Re-Arrested, Under House Arrest in London
…British Court Restricts movement to his St. John’s Wood Residence
*Ordered to be Reporting every week to London Metropolitan Police
*Faces Deportation Hearing, Due in Court next month
*Shelves Plans on Chattered Flight from Heathrow to Murtala Muhammed Airport’s Red Carpet
*PLUS how Britain’s Home Secretary, Amber Rudd cut short Ibori’s Freedom
BY EMEKA ONAWO/CRIME REPORTER, LONDON
THIS IS SURELY not the best of time for Chief James Onanefe Ibori, a former Governor of Delta State, who was earlier jailed for fraud by totalling nearly £50 million in April 2012. Barely few minutes after he was released 48hours ago amidst camaraderie, he was sand-wished at dusk by London Metropolitan Police on another United Kingdom Court order and led to his St. John’s Wood Residence where he was placed on House Arrest.
Our corespondent gathered that obviously elated and highly spirited ‘Ogidigborigbo 1 of the Universe’ was sad and dejected at this latest trend from London Met Police. He was already savoring the air of freedom before before his joy was cut short.
Meanwhile, Ibori has been placed under house arrest in London after being released from prison, where he spent six years following his conviction for stealing and laundering Nigeria’s money.
Ibori was jailed for 13 years but was due for release on Tuesday, December 20, 2016 upon serving full six years.
Latest reports confirms that the London court which released him on Wednesday morning has restricted him to his St. John’s Wood residence. In addition, Ibori will be reporting to the London Metropolitan Police every week.
This wealthy politician of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Nigeria’s main opposition party is presently dejected, since he is due back in court next month for deportation hearing.
Our investigation showed that Ibori’s present predicament after his temporal freedom was caused by Britain’s Home Secretary, Amber Rudd who ensured that her office secured another Court order to detain the Nigeria’s former governor on House Arrest pending the collection of over £18m of “proceeds of crime” from him.
Ibori, a former London store cashier, was jailed for fraud totalling nearly £50 million in April 2012. He evaded capture in Nigeria after a mob of supporters attacked police but was arrested in Dubai in 2010 and extradited to the UK, where he was prosecuted based on evidence from the Metropolitan Police.
