By Tobias Lengnan Dapam, with agency report
The UK government is to return an additional 6.8 million pounds of the confiscated loot of former Delta Governor, James Ibori, to Nigeria.
UK Metropolitan Police Senior Investigator, Rupert Broad disclosed this in London on Tuesday, at a meeting on “Supporting Policing in Nigeria: What Role for Police in the Nigerian Diaspora’’, held in the House of Commons.
While speaking on UK and Nigeria’s anti-corruption partnership, Broad said “out of the eight million pounds confiscated from Ibori, 1.2 million pounds had so far been returned to Nigeria, while the rest was waiting for redistribution as to when it would be sent back to Nigeria.’’
He also said that an additional 80 million pounds had been temporarily confiscated from Ibori and his associates, including Patrice Gohil, one of his lawyers.
“Approximately, 80 million pounds is temporarily frozen and a confiscation hearing has been fixed for April 2015, where the judge will determine how much was stolen, after which it would be returned to Nigeria.’’
The British Southcrown Court, in April 2012, sentenced Ibori to 13 years jail term for fraud and money laundering.
Broad, who attributed the success of the Ibori case to partnership with the nation’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC), said “the case signified Nigeria’s commitment to the fight corruption.
The meeting, which had participants from the Nigerian community, was chaired by Mrs. Meg Hillier, the Chair of the UK All Party Parliamentary Group on Nigeria.
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