FORMER Delta State governor, Chief James Ibori, is to appear in a London court tomorrow, October 1, over his frozen assets by the British authorities.
Indications are also rife that Delta State Elders have secured the service of a British lawyer to work in collaboration with no fewer than five legal luminaries from Nigeria who are already in London for the case.
The assets, said to be worth 7 million pounds, including two Bombardier Aircraft, were ordered frozen by the Southwark Crown Court in London at the instance of petitions filed before the court by counsels to the Delta State Elders.
The eagerness of the elders to prosecute Ibori is sequel to an earlier report that the Metropolitan Police in London had arrested a mistress to the former governor, and one of his sisters, in connection with an alleged multi-million pound money laundering case against him.
One of the legal luminaries handling the case of Ibori in Nigeria told Sunday Tribune that the elders are hoping that Ibori would be prosecuted by the British government owing to the failure of the anti-graft agencies in Nigeria to respond to the petitions against him.
The elders had petitioned both the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), asking for Ibori’s prosecution on account of alleged misappropriation of the Delta State funds during his tenure as governor.
The case between Ibori and the elders is currently before an Appeal Court, a development believed to be stalling efforts by the anti-graft agencies from pursuing the prosecuting the former governor.
It was learnt that nearly all members of the Delta State Elders Forum will be in the London court on Monday where Ibori’s case would come up for hearing.
The chairman of the Forum, Chief Edwin Clark, may not make the trip, having just returned from London on a medical check up, according to report.
In another development, agents of the Delta State government are said to have stormed Abuja to lobby against Chief Godsday Orubebe, recently short listed by president Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, as a ministerial nominee.
The state government is said to be opposed to Orubebe’s choice as their representative in the Yar’Adua government, having been the motivator of opposition against the former governor of the state.
Sep302007