Contrary to widespread belief, fugitive former Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, will not be extradited to Nigeria, investigation has revealed.
A top security source told our correspondent on Friday that the Metropolitan Police were in the process of extraditing the ex-governor to the United Kingdom to face money laundering charges.
Although the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had wished to have Ibori extradited to the country, the move was stalled by lack of extradition treaty between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates.
Embattled former Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori
It was, however, gathered that operatives of the EFCC departed the country on Friday with ”relevant papers and documents” to assist the Met police in the trial of the ex-governor.The UK and the UAE governments signed extradition treaty and mutual legal assistance in 2008, which paved the way for the UK to seek the extradition of Ibori from Dubai.
The ex-governor was arraigned for alleged theft in a Dubai court, on Thursday, following his arrest in his hotel room on Wednesday, by the Metropolitan Police.
He was, however, granted bail and left to ”go free,” according to his media aide, Mr. Tony Eluemunor.
The source said, ”We can‘t bring Ibori to Nigeria for now, because we don‘t have an extradition treaty with the UAE for now. We are in the process of entering into a treaty agreement with them.
”But the UK has a treaty with Dubai, and that is why our operatives are going there with relevant papers and documents to assist the Metropolitan Police in the movement of Ibori to the UK and his eventual trial.
”It is only after the UK might have been through with him that we can apply for his extradition from there to Nigeria to face the charges here.”
The source further said in the event that Ibori was found guilty of the charges against him and sentenced to prison, he would first be extradited to Nigeria for prosecution before going back to serve the jail term.
If he was also found guilty of the charges against him in Nigeria and jailed, the EFCC source said the ex-governor would be brought back to the country immediately after serving his jail term in the UK.
In a telephone interview with our correspondent, EFCC Head, Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Babafemi, confirmed that operatives of the commission departed the country for Dubai on Friday. He said, ”The Chairman (Mrs. Farida Waziri) gave directives on Thursday for our operatives to move to Dubai for further action. That directive has been complied with already. Our operatives left Nigeria for Dubai this (Friday) evening.”
He declined comments on whether Ibori was being brought to Nigeria or whether the EFCC operatives were only going to the UK to assist the Met police.
Ibori is wanted in the UK to answer charges on money laundering and other criminal offences, for which his associates, lawyer and family members are currently standing trial in a Southwark Crown Court, London.
Ibori‘s cat-and-mouse game with the EFCC entered a new phase in March when the commission declared him wanted on the strength of a fresh petition written against him by Delta State Elders, Leaders and Stakeholders Forum.
The stakeholders from Ibori‘s home state, led by Chief Edwin Clarke, had requested the EFCC to investigate the ex-governor for allegedly diverting the state‘s resources to personal use.
Ibori was alleged to have used 528 million units of the state‘s shares in Oceanic Bank as collateral for a personal loan he obtained from Intercontinental Bank for his private company, Ascot Offshore Nigeria Ltd.
Before fleeing abroad, the ex-governor had hibernated in his native Oghara home, where militants overwhelmed a police team led by a Deputy Inspector-General, Mr. Udom Ekpoudom, in a failed bid to arrest him.
Justice Marcel Awokulehin of an Asaba Federal High Court had earlier quashed the 170-count charge bordering on corruption, which the EFCC preferred against Ibori. The anti-graft agency had appealed the decision.
Source: http://www.punchng.com
No comments:
Post a Comment