TheNewsGuru can exclusively confirm that baring any last minute changes, former Delta state governor, Chief James Onanefe Ibori is set to storm Nigeria from the United Kingdom (UK) one month after his release from prison.
TheNewsGuru reporter, who was in court with Chief Ibori today in London when the case instituted by Chief Ibori against the United Kingdom authorities was first mentioned, gathered that the former governor will be returning home in a matter of days. This is notwithstanding his assets confiscation hearing, which has been fixed to hold this Friday.
In today’s mention of the case at the Royal Court of Justice, Fleet Street, London, Ibori’s team of lawyers led by Ian McDonald QC and Ivan Krolick argued that the failure of the government to release Chief Ibori on the due date by the United Kingdom authorities amounted to detention of the former governor. They argued that the UK government should be sanctioned and that Chief Ibori, therefore, should be entitled to compensation.
“Today was really just a mention and for direction but the Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, attempted to have the case moved to County court or Queens Bench division. This was seen as a delaying tactic but the judge refused the government request saying the case was to remain in Royal Courts of Justice,” Ibori’s lawyer told TheNewsGuru.com reporter.
Justice Garnham of the Royal Court of Justice, upon prolonged arguments, adjourned the case for definite hearing in early March at which time both sides are to make their final statements after which he will issue his final judgement and award damages and so on.
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Nevertheless, Ibori’s lawyers will again be in court to begin the confiscation hearing on Friday.
A lawyer in the team of Ibori avers that the current court cases are all civil matters. “We are just trying to establish a principle with today’s hearing so they don’t violate vulnerable people next time. Imagine if we didn’t have the fire power to deal with this, they would have acted with impunity. And they do it all the time to people down there. Once the case law is established, then they will not try it again,” he told our reporter.
Ibori was released from Her Majesty’s Huntercombe Prison near Nuffield in Oxfordshire, England in December 2016 after serving a 13 year jail term.
In December, while declaring Ibori’s free, Justice Juliet May of Southwark crown court, said “You don’t hold someone just because it is convenient to do so and without plans to deport them”.
“The Secretary of State appears to have taken it upon herself that Ibori does remain in this country, in apparent contradiction of the order served earlier this year to deport him. The matter of Ibori’s deportation should be heard before the end of January,” Justice May said in her declaration of Ibori’s release last year.
Ibori will be able to leave the UK and return to Nigeria as soon as possible, the source said while adding that “My understanding is that he does not need to return for the case as it is a civil matter”.
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