The former Delta State Governor James Onanefe Ibori was convicted of money laundering in the United Kingdom in the years 2012, the British police intercepted a purchase order for a private jet in 2005 through his solicitor in London, and was convicted on 10 counts of fraud worth nearly 50 million pounds in 2012 and was placed into immigration detention after his release in 2016.
Some $5.8m (£4.2m) recovered by UK agencies that were stolen by a Nigerian former governor and laundered in Britain have now been returned to Nigeria, the Nigerian authorities say. In 2020 prosecutors in a UK court asked a judge to make a confiscation order against the former Delta state Governor of 117.7 million pounds.
The UK authorities announced in March how it promised to return the money to Nigeria, the agreement was that the money would be used to contribute towards building the second Niger Bridge, connecting Delta State and the neighboring Anambra state, and two roads.
The Director African network on Environmental and Economics Justice today argued the money should have to be refunded to Delta state in his opinion.