SaharaReporters has learnt from
several authoritative sources that
Nigeria's ruler, Goodluck Jonathan, is
seeking a deal with the UK and United
Arab Empire (UAE) to allow former
Governor James Ibori of Delta State to
return to Nigeria.
A source within the Jonathan
administration familiar with the
details of the deal said that Mr.
Jonathan is “trying to persuade Britain
and Dubai that to let Chief Ibori come
back to Nigeria for a trial that would be
a soft landing. ”
Mr. Ibori, who is currently being held in
Dubai, has lost his legal battles to
avoid extradition to the UK where
prosecutors have prepared a case file
detailing his extensive money
laundering activities during the eight
years he ran Delta State. Several of
Mr. Ibori ’s associates, including his
wife, Theresa Nkoyo Ibori, mistress
Udoamaka Okoronkwo (nee Onuigbo),
sister, Christine Ibori-Ebie, and his
London-based lawyer, XXY, have
been convicted by a Southwark Crown
Court on money laundering charges.
Most of them are serving five-year jail
terms.
A high level diplomatic source told
Saharareporters that the delay in
repatriating Mr. Ibori to London was as
a result of the highly secretive
negotiations that Mr. Jonathan
initiated with the government of
Britain to facilitate the embattled
former governor ’s return to Nigeria.
“President Jonathan is assuring
Britain that James Ibori will be tried by
a Nigerian court, but the deal is to
offer Chief Ibori the same kind of trial
given to Mrs. Cecilia Ibru, ” said a
source, a member of Mr. Jonathan’s
inner circles.
SaharaReporters sources said
Jonathan not only bought the plan to
have Ibori face trial in Nigeria but is
also using all kinds of inducements to
secure British cooperation. “He’s
offering more concessions to UK oil
interests in Nigeria to ensure that his
proposal on Ibori is endorsed, ” said a
source.
Once the UK gives its assent, the
proposal would then be sent to the
monarchy in the UAE who will send
Ibori back to Nigeria – to face another
kangaroo trial.
A source in the UK told
Saharareporters earlier today: “We are
appalled that the Nigerian
government is pursuing a course of
action calculated to enable Mr. Ibori to
evade proper prosecution, ” adding
that “the current move calls into
grave question the Nigerian
government ’s commitment to fighting
financial crimes.”
A legal expert in the UK said the
chances were “extremely good that
Ibori would be found guilty in the UK,
but I can ’t say the same would be true
if he’s tried in Nigeria.”
Several sources familiar with
Jonathan ’s effort to broker a highly
secretive deal in Ibori’s favor disclosed
that the current governor of Delta
state, Emmanuel Uduaghan, was
responsible for forcing Jonathan to
embrace the proposal. Mr. Uduaghan,
who is Ibori ’s maternal first cousin,
was handpicked by Ibori to succeed
him.
One source said that Governor
Uduaghan insisted that his total
support for Jonathan's presidential
campaign would be predicated on Mr.
Jonathan using his executive muscle
to ensure Ibori ’s return to Nigeria
instead of his extradition to the UK.
Mr. Uduaghan, a medical doctor, is
also indicted in EFCC reports. His
name also featured in testimony at
the Southwark Crown Court as a
principal facilitator of many of Mr.
Ibori ’s money laundering schemes. As
reported earlier by Saharareporters,
Mr. Uduaghan, who served as
secretary to the government during
Ibori ’s tenure, played a key role in
Ibori’s widespread looting of Delta
State funds.
Two sources told Saharareporters
that Mr. Uduaghan warned Jonathan
that Niger Delta governors would
neither forgive him nor campaign
wholeheartedly for him unless he
midwifes a deal to bring Mr. Ibori back
to Nigeria. “President Jonathan is so
desperate to carry the south-south
that he was willing to do anything in
order to avoid the risk of losing the
region, ” said a source.
Two years ago, Mr. Ibori was tried on
170 counts of money laundering, but
was discharged and acquitted by
Justice Marcellus Awokulehin, a
corrupt judge handpicked by Ibori to
preside over the case at the Federal
High Court in Asaba, capital of Delta
State. Saharareporters reported that
Mr. Awokulehin received $5 million to
clear the former governor of the
corruption charges.
C

Let us wait and see, though I things this is highly unlikely to succeed, considering that Ibori is the principal suspect in the case, and his accomplices have been tried and convicted.

Ibori, must now be dragged into the Uk and tried like a common Thief / Criminal which he is

This is good news. Nigeria should learn to prosecute it's own criminals instead of allowing the more corrupt Brits to do just that. I'd rather see them in Nigerian jails, with the loot back on Nigeria. Instead of the taxation without representation hungry British getting it all as "forfeitures".

I have some questions: Why has Britain not sentenced their citizen Ibori's lawyer who is said to be an accomplice in the allegations against Ibori when they have convicted Ibori's wife, sister and mistress? Why did the US not extradict Cheney their former VP to face trial in Nigeria?

Why? They should let the maggot face trial there since bringing him back here would lead to him going free or serving quarter of his appropriate term. Baskard