The embattled former Delta State Governor, James Onanefe Ibori was released by a United Kingdom prison on Tuesday night, December 21 after completing his jail term for financial crimes. His release has been met with mixed reactions, some are celebrating his release while others are adamant he should still be in prison or the Federal Government of Nigeria should extradite him for another jail term in the country.
Below is the timeline of his travails;
1.) His kinsmen filed fraud allegations against him to the then chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu.
The United Kingdom acting on the reports received raided the London offices of a lawyer named Bhadresh Gohil.
The raid which was conducted by Metropolitan Police led to the discovery of computer hard drives containing details of a myriad off-shore companies, run for Ibori by Gohil.
2.) Ibori’s assets amounting to $35m were frozen in August 2007 by the UK authorities who were unwilling to let go of the matter before arresting his wife, Nkoyo Ibori in November 2007 and questioned in London. She was later released.
Ibori’s assets were frozen by the London police because he could not explain how he had $35m in his account whilst on a salary of less than $25,000 as governor.
3.) EFCC arrested Ibori on December 12, 2007 and filed the following charges against him: theft of public funds, abuse of office, and money laundering.
However, a federal high court in Asaba, Delta state on December 2009 discharged and acquitted the former governor of all the 170 charges of corruption brought against him by the anti-graft body.
4.) Three months after the death of former president Umar Yar’adua in 2010, the embattled governor was accused of embezzling N40 billion. It was later revealed by the then Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that Ibori had used his state as collateral for N40 billion loan.
He fled the country in April 2010 in a move that prompted EFCC to request for the assistance of Interpol.
5.) The United Kingdom issued an international arrest warrant for Ibori before Interpol finally arested him on May 13, 2010 in Dubai.
The United Arab Emirates kept his movements restricted whilst the UK were seeking to extradite him after he was granted bail.
He was eventually extradited to the UK in 2012 after falling to win his fight against the extradition and Dubai also refused to grant him political asylum.
6.) James Onanefe Ibori pleaded guilty to ten counts of money laundering and conspiracy to defraud at Southwark Crown Court and was later sentenced to 13 years imprisonment on April 17, 2012 while his houses, luxury cars and other properties were confiscated.
According to the judge, the convicted Ibori was expected to spend half of the jail term which is six and half years.
The former Governor was incarcerated in detention facilities of both Dubai and UK for 645 days which were deducted from his jail term.
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