Over N500 billion Ibori, Abacha loot still expected - FG

James-Ibori

James Ibori: makes Nigeria £4.2m richer

James Ibori

By Muhaimin Olowoporoku

The Attorney general of the federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami SAN has said the Federal Government still expects over £100m (N527bn), stolen by James Ibori, a former governor of Delta State.

Malami also said apart from Ibori loot, $100m traced to the late Head of State, Gen Sani Abacha, is also being expected.

Malami who is also the minister of justice revealed this on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Tuesday.

He said, “As it is we have succeeded in recovering £4.2m from the UK. We are still pursuing other assets even as it relates to the Ibori assets.

“The quantum of the amount involved was within the region of over £100m (N2.2bn) and it is out of it that we have succeeded in recovering a fraction of £4.2m and we are still pursuing an additional sum within the region of £100m (N527bn) and that will be a function of conviction and subsequent recovery process.”

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Abubakar Malami said the repatriated funds would not be handed over to the Delta State Government because the crime that led to the diversion of the funds was a federal one.

The AGF said one condition for repatriating the UK Ibori loot was that the money has to be tied for a federal project including the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the Abuja-Kano rail, and the second Niger Bridge.

Malami revealed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed in respect to this between both parties.

However, Human Right lawyer, Femi Falana has faulted the position of the AGF stating that the said funds stolen from the Bayelsa State Government years ago were to be returned to the state government.

Falana narrated that a similar thing happened in the case of Joshua Dariye, a former Governor of Plateau State who was convicted for diverting state funds.

The Human Rights lawyer said giving the Ibori loot to the Federal Government was at variance with Section 162 of the constitution.

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