Christine Ibie-Ibori and Udoamakaa Okoronkwo-Onuigbo, sister and mistress of James Ibori, were this morning in London bundled into jail for five years each for their roles in the former governor’s massive corruption activities in the United Kingdom. The sentencing followed the guilty verdicts handed down by a jury last week at the Southwark Crown Court in London after the two women were found guilty of money laundering and mortgage fraud. A third accused person, Bimpe Pogoson, who was Ibori’s Personal Assistant, was discharged and acquitted by the jury. Ibori's sister, Christine Ibie-Ibori, was found guilty of 9 counts of money laundering and mortgage fraud. Okoronkwo-Onuigbo got her five years in prison for money laundering. The two women were accused and subsequently convicted of handling proceeds of criminal transactions on behalf of Ibori while he was governor of Delta State.

Nigerians in the UK turned out en masse in court today leading the court to move three times in order to create space for over 150 Nigerians that attended the sentencing today, but a large chunk of the attendees that had responded to the call of the Nigeria Liberty Forum to come to the event could not find a seat in the court room.

When Judge Christopher Hardy eventually began the sentencing hearing, the lawyers to the women pleaded with him to temper justice with mercy, claiming that the two women had been extensively manipulated by Ibori to commit the offences on his behalf. For the first time in court, the defense lawyers conceded that Ibori was a criminal with powerful influence. They alluded to his pervasive influence over the entire Nigerian government structure to buttress their point that the two women were too insignificant to have rejected his overtures.

However, the judge rejected their pleas. In doing so, Judge Hardy took the unprecedented step of coming down hard on the Nigerian judiciary, declaring that the Nigerian judiciary has been usurped by Ibori. He said it is the people of Nigeria that are the victims, not the two women who lived a life of luxury off the poverty of their people. He made it clear in open court that the women knew exactly what they were doing and therefore couldn't be described as victims.

Late last year, Judge Marcel Awokulehin of the Federal High Court in Asaba set the thieving former governor free after throwing out the 170 charges of corruption that had been brought against him, proving that justice was available to be bought in the Nigerian judiciary. Ibori swaggered into the Edo State capital in triumph to give a Founder’s Day lecture at the University of Benin, an institution the reputation of which was severely damaged in academic circles.

In the UK, Ibori did not find a price tag on justice. The two women were taken to prison as soon as the sentencing ended while Nigerians in attendance jubilated outside the court room or headed to local pubs to celebrate.

Meanwhile, he is still in Dubai awaiting possible extradition to the United Kingdom.

http://www.saharareporters.com/news/6223-iboris-associates-sentenced-to-21-years-in-prison.html

somebody shout halleluyahhhhhh

[size=24pt]W T F??[/size]

good news.

What a short jail time.

^^^^ way better than what the Nigerian judge (who threw out the case against the main culprit) would've 'offered'.

We'll take it.