Delta Decries Withholding Of £4.2m Ibori Loot Refund

Delta State Government, Monday, said it was disappointed by the Federal Government’s “deliberate” refusal to return the £4.2 million the former governor, James Ibori, looted from the state to it, seven months after the release of the money by the UK Government.
The 4.2 million pounds refund money was received by the Federal government from the UK government on May 28, 2021.
Delta State commissioner for information, Charles Aniagwu, said “government is anxiously awaiting the “repatriated money,” saying the funds belong to the state, and so federal government cannot rob Peter to pay Paul”.
“As I speak with you, we have mapped out a lot of projects to be done with the money, we are only hoping that federal government releases the money to us on time to do the needful,” Aniagwu said.
Ibori was jailed in April 2012 for fraud amounting to nearly 50 million pounds (at the time $78.6 million or 62 million euros).
He fled to Dubai in 2010 but was extradited to Britain, where he was sentenced and served four years of a 13-year jail term. He was released in December 2016.