AILING immediate past governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, who was remanded in the Kaduna prisons following his recent arraignment for corruption by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was yesterday flown to Abuja on the strength of his deteriorating health.
He is already on admission at the National Hospital, Abuja.
Chief Ibori flew in a police helicopter with registration No. 5N SGE and on arrival at the Force Headquarters, Abuja at about 2.45 p.m. walked into a waiting prison service ambulance.
Meanwhile, the EFCC is seeking the assistance of the International Police (Interpol) to get the former Edo State Governor, Mr. Lucky Igbinedion arrested on corruption allegations.
On hand to receive Governor Ibori in Abuja yesterday was an Assistant Comptroller of Prison.
The helicopter was piloted by the Police Commissioner in charge of Air Wing, A. Aguda.
Chief Ibori had earlier in the day been driven out of the Kaduna Prisons in a green Toyota Hiace bus with number plate PS 016 A at about 1.30 p.m.
He was wore an Ankara attire. The Controller of Prisons, Alhaji Momoh Momodu, declined to speak on the matter. There had been speculations at the weekend that Ibori had taken ill. But Momodu dismissed the report in an earlier interview, saying: �Ibori is hale and hearty.�
As he put it, �it is not true that he is sick to the extent of serious concern. We are making arrangements for him to go for medical check-up outside. We have two prison doctors attached to him, who check him regularly.
�To be on a safer side, we also call doctors from outside to satisfy his private doctor who has said that he requires more check-up. We don�t have anything to hide about him.
�If he is seriously sick, we will arrange for him to be treated outside. That is if it goes beyond us, we�ll take him outside. In any case, if his health degenerates, we�ll take him outside for treatment.
�We�ll not say because he was a governor. We do the same thing to all the inmates.
�Right now, he�s physically okay. His condition has not degenerated to be taken outside. In the prisons we have the responsibility to make sure that all inmates are hale and hearty to appear for trial,� he said.
However, Vanguard gathered yesterday that prison doctors treated him for high blood pressure before he was taken out.
Ibori is expected to appear again at the Federal High Court tomorrow when the trial proper is expected to begin in the 129-count charge preffered against him.
His lawyers are also expected to argue for his bail as the first attempt to argue for a bail for Ibori had failed.
Vanguard gathered that Chief Ibori may remain in Abuja for easy access to medicare until his situation improves.
Indications that something big was happening emerged at the IGP�s conference room at about 10. 30 a.m. yesterday when the ADC to the IG came to inform him that he had a call from the Presidential Villa.
After going to answer the call, the IG sent for CP Aguda, who is in charge of the Air Wing. When he was not immediately forthcoming, another CP was sent to personally get him.
A minute later, Okiro sent the DIG Operations, Mr Adedayo Adeoye, to get the CP on air immediately before he (Adeoye) proceeded to the Defence Headquarters to represent him in a meeting with the Chief of Defence Staff, General Owoye Azazi.
About 15 minutes later, Vanguard heard the Police helicopter taking off to an unknown destination.
At this point, the IG declared the conference where he reviewed the security situation of the country during the Sallah, Christmas and New Year period opened.
The meeting was on when the former governor was flown into the Force Headquarters premises at about 2. 45 p.m.
EFCC contacts Interpol on Igbinedion
Meanwhile, the EFCC has commenced a man hunt for the former Governor of Edo State, Mr Lucky Igbinedion, with the Commission saying it has established contact with Interpol to arrest the ex-governor.
A Federal High Court, Tuesday, issued a bench warrant for the arrest of former Governor Igbinedion. The order followed the request by the EFCC, in their bid to ensure that Igbinedion is tried in court over allegation of corruption.
Vanguard gathered that every necessary contact had been explored by the EFCC to ensure that the former governor is tracked down �and we are getting some level of co-operation from Nigeria�s embassies abroad on him.
�We will soon get him. He is being closely monitored and Interpol is crucially involved in this manhunt. It is just a matter of time before we close in on him. In fact, some of his ex-governors colleagues would soon be picked up and arraigned in court,� said the source.
The anti-graft agency has slammed the former governor with 142-count charge of stealing, corruption and abuse office.
Chief Igbinedion, who governed Edo State for eight years, has been out of Nigeria since leaving office at the end of May last year.