Nigeria - Former Delta State Governor, James Onanefe Ibori has arrived in Nigeria.
It was gathered that he arrived Abuja on Saturday morning and is on his way to his hometown, Oghara in Delta State.
James Ibori had, on Friday, appeared before a Southwark Crown court in London for his asset forfeiture hearing.
He regained his freedom in December 2016 after spending four-and-a-half years in a United Kingdom prison for money laundering.
The British Government had accused him of stealing about $250m from the Delta State Government part of which was used in buying six houses and luxury vehicles in the UK, the United States and South Africa.
“Chief James Ibori has arrived. He landed in Abuja in the early hours,” said Ighoyota Amori, a political adviser to Ibori, who was governor of the oil-rich Delta state between 1999 and 2007, said in an AFP report.
He said Ibori would later fly to the southern port city of Warri in Delta state.
“A chartered private plane will fly him to Warri and he will land at Osubi airfield operated by Shell,” he added.
The former politician would be received at the airstrip by supporters and sympathisers who have lined up to welcome him back, he added.
“For now, it is going to be a quiet ceremony. An elaborate reception will be organised later for him at Oghara, his hometown,” he said.
Ibori’s media aide, Tony Eluemunor, also confirmed his arrival, saying only: “He is in town. I will keep you posted later.”
– Rare blow against graft –
Ibori was jailed in April 2012 for fraud amounting to nearly 50 million pounds (at the time $78.5 million/62 million euros) following a drawn-out extradition procedure and his evasion of arrest and prosecution in Nigeria.
He had fled to Dubai in 2010, from where he was extradited to Britain.
Anti-corruption campaigners say billions of pounds of ill-gotten wealth is moved each year through Britain, its overseas territories and dependencies and Ibori’s conviction was a rare success against global graft.
Ibori, 57, has vowed to appeal the conviction, claiming that at least one police officer involved in the investigation against him had been compromised by taking bribes.
London’s Metropolitan Police has said it has investigated the claim but no charges were brought.
Transparency International on Friday called Ibori’s intent to appeal “an affront to justice”.
Opinions are divided in Nigeria itself about whether Ibori should face a fresh trial on his return given the strong anti-corruption stance of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Ibori is said to have partially funded the election of Umaru Yar’Adua in his successful bid to become president in 2007.
Even during his time in prison, he is said to have influenced the election of the current Delta state governor and other politicians.
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