By Valentine Amanze, Online Editor
The United Kingdom (UK) has assured the Nigerian government that it would soon return to the West African country the £4.2 million ($5.8 million), which was stolen by Delta State former Governor, Chief James Ibori.
Already, the UK and Nigerian governments on Tuesday signed an agreement that the £4.2 million recovered by UK agencies would be sent back to Nigeria for infrastructure projects, such as roads.
Recall that Ibori was convicted of money laundering in the UK in 2012.
BBC had reported that the former governor had stolen around £50 million from the oil-rich state.
The UK authorities said that it was the first time that money recovered from criminals would be returned to Nigeria since an agreement was signed in 2016 between Nigeria and UK.
Ibori went to the UK in the 1980s and worked as a cashier at a DIY store in London.
He was convicted in 1991 of stealing from the store but then returned to Nigeria and got involved in politics.
When he ran for Delta State governor, he lied about his date of birth to hide his UK conviction – which would have prevented him standing for office.
He became governor in 1999. Delta is the source of much of Nigeria’s oil.
The British police began to take an interest in Ibori again in 2005 after they came across a purchase order for a private jet, made through his solicitor in London.
He evaded capture in Nigeria after a mob of supporters attacked police, but was eventually arrested in Dubai in 2010 and was extradited to the UK.
He was convicted in 2012 and was released in 2016.
But he was put in immigration detention and he sued the Home Office for unlawful detention.
A Home Office email, published in the court judgement, recommended to keep him in immigration detention to buy time to work out how to recover at least £57 million.
He won the case and was awarded £1 compensation.
