British and Nigerian civil society groups have urged the British government to return funds confiscated from convicted politician James Ibori to Nigeria in a swift and transparent way.
In a letter to the home and foreign affairs ministers, the coalition of close to 50 NGOs said the long-delayed confiscation process had undermined the strong anti-corruption message sent by Ibori’s conviction over a decade ago.
“The years of disruption and delay in recovering and returning these stolen assets means this message has so far rung hollow for the Nigerian people,” the letter said.
Ibori, a former governor of oil-producing Delta State in southern Nigeria, pleaded guilty in a London court in 2012 to 10 counts of fraud and money-laundering and was handed a 13-year jail sentence.
The NGOs said funds confiscated from him should go to projects benefitting the people of Delta State and implementation should be subject to civil society monitoring.
Efforts by British prosecutors to confiscate Ibori’s assets began in 2013 but have run into repeated obstacles and delays in the London courts.
In July, a judge ordered the confiscation of 101.5 million pounds ($123.9 million) from him, one of the biggest orders under Britain’s Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 since it came into force.
He has applied for leave to appeal against the order and his application is at the early stages of the appeal process.
The NGOs’ call comes as Ibori remains influential in Nigeria, and has friends and associates in powerful positions.
The NGOs’ demand for a swift and transparent return of the funds is justified. The Nigerian people have waited long enough to see the return of the money that was stolen from them.
