Founding chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nuhu Ribadu, today told the Southwark Crown Court that former Governor James Onanefe Ibori of Delta State stole approximately half of the revenue allocation that accrued to his state during his two terms in office.
Mr. Ribadu made the astonishing disclosure when he testified about his involvement in the investigation of Mr. Ibori who is serving a 13-year jail sentence in the UK.
In an emotional testimony, the former EFCC boss detailed how the grasping ex-governor offered him a $19 million bribe to persuade him to drop the prosecution of Mr. Ibori who massively looted the funds of his state. Mr. Ibori had brought the bribe money in large sacks of cash to the Abuja home of Andy Uba, a domestic assistant to former President Olusegun Obasanjo. 
Mr. Ribadu told the UK court that he took possession of the cash produced by Mr. Ibori, and then deposited it at the Central Bank of Nigeria. He added that the rogue former governor, believing that he had accepted the bribe, kept bugging him to provide him with a letter declaring him free of corruption.
For the first time ever, the former EFCC boss also produced photos of the sacks of cash given to him by the former governor.
Mr. Ribadu told the court that EFCC investigations established that Mr. Ibori must have stolen at least $500 million, representing 50% of the revenue that accrued to the state in the eight years that the jailed former governor was in office.
Mr. Ribadu also gave a fascinating account of how he was summarily removed from office five days after he arrested Mr. Ibori in Abuja. He also told the court about attempts made on his life by people linked to the former governor as well as the then Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro, who is the current chairman of the Police Service Commission – even though he did not mention Mr. Okiro by name.
He further told the British court that EFCC operatives arrested Mr. Ibori after a dramatic chase on the streets of Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
Mr. Ribadu stated that he had made enormous sacrifices to ensure that he lived to tell his story, detailing how he fled Nigeria on a motorbike to Benin Republic from where he boarded an Air France flight to Paris. From France, he traveled to the UK where he was offered a fellowship by Oxford University.
Mr. Ribadu also narrated the role played by Nigeria’s former Attorney General, Michael Aondoakaa to prevent him from receiving his certificate from the Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) at Kuru, Jos. After his removal as EFCC chair, Mr. Ribadu was ordered to proceed to NIPSS for studies, but was humiliated on the day of graduation in front of his family when he was forcibly removed from the venue, reportedly for failure to wear his police uniform.
He told the court that Mr. Ibori was the most powerful influence on the government of the late Nigerian president, Umaru Yar’Adua.
The former chairman of the EFCC will continue his testimony tomorrow at the Southwark Crown Court. He will be cross-examined by Mr. Ibori’s lawyers

http://mobile.saharareporters.com/news-page/james-ibori-stole-half-delta-state-allocation-8-years-–-ribadu. Via @SaharaReporters

Mallam Ribadu, we know about that. Let me remind you that you are no longer the head of EFCC. Just thought I should remind you

Ibori o! Odidigborigbo of Delta State. I hail thee!

Rabid avaricious looters. T.A Orji is next.

Idi Amin: Mallam Ribadu, we know about that. Let me remind you that you are no longer the head of EFCC. Just thought I should remind you

Whatever!! Just allow the man that was there when things were happening to talk. What is wrong with you Nigerians? These information may not be important to you but we as people with roots in that crazy country need to hear things like these. We need to know who and who are implicated in these things so that we don't allow them again rear their heads up and destroy the country for our children. Nigerians think!!!!! Don't just follow fools, think and comment constructively.

And they still threw a party for him in the town stadium

baby-boy:
And they still threw a party for him in the town stadium

Yes they did! They also did a thanksgiving service where they eulogised his magnanimity and prayed to their god for strength to survive his travail.

And lots of other past / serving Governors too. I really cant understand why our leaders are soooooooooo criminally-cum-deceitfully minded

payless: Ibori o! Odidigborigbo of Delta State. I hail thee!

Ribadu remains the only person who held public office in recent times that I singularly admire and respect...I hope he runs for the presidency in 2015

in Fela's tune......

catch am catch am.....thief...thief...thief


BTW, He get mouth scatter,stole this much, then installed an EFCC chairman afterwards.....MOUTHED THIEF!!!

Mr. Ibori
had brought the bribe money
in large sacks of cash to the
Abuja home of Andy Uba, a
domestic assistant to former
President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Mr. Ribadu told the UK court
that he took possession of the
cash produced by Mr. Ibori,
and then deposited it at the
Central Bank of Nigeria.

ribadu make sense, he made sure he has a witness in andy ubah.

If Ibori could do this to a state as a democratic governor, I wonder what he would have done to this country if he was a military president. But please people, don't castigate him too much as we still have numerous Iboris in the country. Na person wey dem catch be thief.

Half a billion $$$.

Was he hoping to get buried with his people's wealth?
Meanwhile his Contemporary -in- fraud was given immunity by Jonathan.

Since our rulers are bigger than the judiciary, maybe we should just sign an agreement with the British to persecute our corrupt officials for us?