London Court Dismisses Ex-Delta Governor Ibori’s Corruption Appeal

A London Court of Appeal has rejected a legal challenge by former Delta State Governor, James Ibori, seeking to reduce a £101.5 million ($136.05 million) asset confiscation order imposed on him following his conviction for corruption.

The ruling, delivered on Tuesday, upholds the confiscation order issued by a lower London criminal court in 2023, which is among the largest financial recovery orders made against an individual in British legal history.

Ibori had appealed the decision, asking the court to reduce the amount by approximately £4.3 million. However, the Court of Appeal dismissed arguments presented by his legal team.

The appeal had delayed the enforcement of the confiscation order, but Tuesday’s decision clears the way for the process to proceed unless Ibori takes the matter to the UK Supreme Court.

Speaking to Reuters, Ibori said he was consulting his lawyers to determine his next legal move, adding that his legal troubles had lasted for a long time.

“Give me a break,” he said.

Ibori, who governed Delta State between 1999 and 2007, was convicted in Britain in 2012 after admitting to laundering tens of millions of dollars in stolen public funds through British banks and properties.

His conviction followed a joint investigation by Nigerian and British anti-corruption authorities into his financial activities.

Following the investigation, Ibori left Nigeria for Dubai but was extradited to the United Kingdom in 2011 to face charges.

He subsequently pleaded guilty to multiple counts of fraud and money laundering and was sentenced to 13 years in prison. After accounting for time spent in detention before and after his trial, he served slightly more than four years before his release in late 2016.

He returned to Nigeria in early 2017.

During his time as governor, Ibori was one of the most influential political figures in Nigeria, largely because of Delta State's significance to the country's oil and gas industry.

Despite his conviction and imprisonment in the UK, he has remained an influential political figure in Delta State and has maintained links with prominent Nigerian political leaders.

Tuesday’s ruling represents another development in the long-running legal proceedings over the recovery of assets linked to his corruption conviction.