A London court Tuesday ruled that former Delta State Governor, James Ibori is at liberty to return to Nigeria having served out his jail term for corrupt enrichment. Ibori, was jailed by a UK court for 13 years (but served four years and nine months) as the days he had spent in detention were deducted from the jail term.
Recall that Ibori was extradited to the UK in 2011 where he faced trial. Handing down the judgment to a silent courtroom, Justice Pitts had said: “Total sentence which I impose on you is 13 years. You are to serve half of that. The 625 days which you have spent in custody are to be credited to the amount of years to serve.”
This implied that Ibori will spend at least four years and nine months before he is deported to Nigeria like other foreign criminals who serve terms in a British jail.
One of the detectives who was involved both in this prosecution and that of former Bayesla State Governor, Deprieye Alamieyeseigha, said would remain at Wandsworth Prison where he had been kept since his extradition to the United Kingdom in April 2011. He has since served out the jail term. He was released from jail in December but was still asked to be reporting to the Police. The ruling of Tuesday means he is now a free man.
It is not immediately known if Ibori would return as soon as possible but the court ruling has sparked off jubilation in his Delta State where in spite of his travail, he still commands great political influence.
