The 2014 annual report of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has revealed what would become the former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, when he returns to the country after serving his imprisonment in London.
It would be recalled that Ibori is currently serving a 13-year imprisonment a London court sentenced him to in April 2012 after he pleaded guilty to money laundering charges.
According to the EFCC report made public by Daily Trust, Ibori will be retried in Nigeria on corruption charges when he returns to the country.
It was disclosed that in December 2009, a Federal High Court in Asaba, Delta State headed by Justice Marcel Awokulehin had freed Ibori of corruption charges, quashing all 170 charges of corruption the EFCC levelled against him.
The Court of Appeal in Benin, in May last year, however, ruled that Awokulehin erred in the ruling and ordered that the matter be reassigned. This, the EFCC report explains, invariably means that Ibori will be tried in Nigeria upon completion of his jail term in the United Kingdom.
The EFCC report, now before the National Assembly, says the Commission has been recording more convictions, with 126 in 2014, an improvement on the 117 figure it recorded in 2013.
The report further debunks the belief in many quarters that it is not doing enough in concluding trial of some former state governors and top politicians.
It maintains that top cases involving top political figures like Saminu Turaki, ex-governor of Jigawa state; Chimaroke Nnamani, former governor of Enugu State; Rashidi Ladoja, former governor of Oyo State; Alao Akala, former governor of Oyo State; Orji Uzor Kalu, former governor of Abia state; Athahiru Bafarawa, former governor of Sokoto State; Akwe Doma, former governor of Nasarawa State; Gbenga Daniel, former governor of Oguns State; Joshua Dariye, former governor of Plateau State; Abdullahi Adamu, former governor of Nasarawa state; Danjuma Goje, former governor of Gombe state; Timipre Sylva, former governor of Bayelsa State and Abubakar Audu, former governor of Kogi State, most of which the Sunday Trust feature listed as uncertain in their prosecution nature, “are on-going in courts across the country.”
It would be recalled that the daughter of Ibori was reported recently to be running for seat in Delta State House of Assembly.
According to reports, Erhiatake Ibori plans to run on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to represent Ethiope West constituency.
Her move allegedly caused disaffection in Oghara, Mr. Ibori’s Oghara community, the report added.
