James Ibori may not return a dime of the money he stole as governor

Ibori, 51, who now lives in Hampstead, north west London, pictured, was previously convicted of stealing goods from hope improvement store Wickes and handling a stolen credit card



The former £5,000-a-year Wickes cashier owned a £600,000 fleet of armoured Range Rovers and sold £23million of state-owned shares to fund a lavish lifestyle, including £125,000 monthly credit card bills
‘The Crown has been taken wholly by surprise that Mr Krolick should address the court and say that there was no evidence in effect that Mr Ibori benefited’.
Nigerian-born Ibori moved to the UK in the 1980s where he married his wife, Theresa, and worked as a cashier at Wickes in Ruislip, Middlesex.
In 1990 the pair were convicted of stealing goods from the store and fined £300. A year later Ibori was fined £100 for handling a stolen credit card before he moved back to his homeland.

Ibori was elected as governor of Delta State in 1999 after tricking his way into power by hiding details of his previous convictions in the UK for theft and changing his age.
In 2003, he was re-elected as governor for another four year term, after failing to disclose his previous convictions and financial status.

During that time he systematically stole funds from the public purse, secreting them in bank accounts across the world.

His methods included the inflation of State contracts, kickbacks and the transfer of cash from the State accounts by unscrupulous employees in his inner circle.
In one instance he rigged the tendering process for state contracts in cahoots with his mistress Udoumaka Okoronkwo, who would be due to face confiscation proceedings alongside Ibori.

The couple used Okoronkwo’s companies Sagicon, Rivbbed and Saagaris - the latter of which their four-month old love-child was named as a director of - to ‘bid’ for inflated deals to provide items to the state including china and vehicles.
The money was then channelled out of Nigeria before it was laundered through a series of off-shore trusts and companies.

Ibori was also helped to steal the cash by his wife Theresa, sister Christine Ibori-Ibie, and a series of corrupt professionals - UK London based lawyer, Bhadresh Gohil, fiduciary agent Daniel Benedict McCann and corporate financier, Lambertus De Boer.



Ibori was also helped to steal the cash by his sister Christine Ibori-Ibie, whose plush home is pictured above, wife Theresa and a series of corrupt professionals including London based lawyer Bhadresh Gohil
The former state governor was arrested by officers from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Nigeria in December 2007.

Two years later at a court in Ibori’s hometown in Asaba, 170 charges of corruption were dismissed on the basis that there was no clear evidence to convict.
The case was reopened in April 2010 by the EFCC before Ibori fled to Dubai. He was finally extradited back to the UK in April 2011.

Ibori admitted ten offences relating to conspiracy to launder funds from Delta State, substantive counts of money laundering and one count of obtaining a money transfer by deception and fraud.
He was excused from attending today’s hearing and Judge Anthony Pitts is expected to rule on Friday whether he will face a full confiscation hearing.




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Posted: at 9-04-2014 09:43 PM (10 years ago) | Newbie

 vanity upon vanity

Posted: at 9-04-2014 10:22 PM (10 years ago) | Gistmaniac

is terrible the way this poilticans loot their country's money

Posted: at 9-04-2014 10:32 PM (10 years ago) | Hero

I feel sorry for those who will be BORN into Africa and especially Nigeria tomorrow!

Posted: at 9-04-2014 10:45 PM (10 years ago) | Gistmaniac

Interesting thief

Posted: at 9-04-2014 11:01 PM (10 years ago) | Hero

good news.. ..after all them still dey thief the money dey goo ..not just him..make them free uncle J.L JOOOR.wetin he do ..

Posted: at 9-04-2014 11:36 PM (10 years ago) | Addicted Hero

see u na..u never thief for your before..na thief dey know thief..

Posted: at 9-04-2014 11:39 PM (10 years ago) | Addicted Hero

GUY ENJOY....NO MIND THEM

Posted: at 10-04-2014 12:47 AM (10 years ago) | Upcoming

Nigeria and her corrupt leaders shay....na GOD go punish u *IBORI

Posted: at 10-04-2014 01:31 AM (10 years ago) | Newbie

Hmmm God is watching 

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Posted: at 10-04-2014 02:41 AM (10 years ago) | Hero