Constitutional lawyer, Prof. Itse Sagay, SAN, on Saturday, said that former Delta State governor, Chief James Ibori can appeal the judgment of the Southwark Crown Court on confiscation of £101.5 million from him.

Judge David Tomlinson, delivering the confiscation order at Southwark Crown Court, London, said Ibori should pay the sum immediately or face an eight-year jail sentence.

Responding to the ruling, Ibori, who claimed that he and those close to him were being persecuted, vowed to challenge the order in the higher courts.

He also added that Judge Tomlinson appeared to have cast aside any pretence of impartiality, while making the order, which he described as both “wholly unrealistic and unrealisable”.

Reacting to the issue, Sagay a former Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, PACAC, said Ibori has a right to appeal to higher courts in the UK.

He said: “Yes, he has an absolute right to appeal the judgment. The judgment was from a High Court so he can appeal to the higher courts, that is the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.

“He has two options and both can be exploited. He can appeal the judgment in London and defend any attempt at extradition in Nigeria. He can do the two.”

Dreal1247:
Sorry to state this obvious. This people have left Delta state, one of the richest states in the country underdeveloped. You won't believe that Delta state receives more Federal allocation than 90% of the states in the federation. Yet there is little or nothing to show for it. When he was the first person to announce the second term for Okowa after serving his jail term in UK, it was then clear that the people of the state are in for a ride.

hisexcellency34:
Okowa is a traitor and used the resources of the state to finance Atiku's reelection. But till date, Ibori's achievements in Delta surpasses Uduaghan and Okowa combined

Dreal1247:

If you know the volume of money that came into the state during Ibori era, you will stone him to death. So you know that Local Government Chairmen then moved in motorcade comparable to that of the Governor today. Just imagine the loot that have not been discovered.