Ibori Gets Bail In Dubai, Reassures Supporters
By Wale Igbintade (Lagos) and Linda Nwaeze (Uvwie)



Former Delta State Governor, James Ibori, walked out of a Dubai court on Thursday on bail, after he was arrested the previous day.

A statement issued by his Media Assistant, Tony Eluemunor, said he was in a hotel room by 9 p.m. on Wednesday when security agents came in, introduced themselves as acting on behalf of Interpol, saying he was wanted in London.

Eluemunor confirmed that Ibori was arrested on a United Kingdom warrant, which failed to give details of the crime he allegedly committed.

He reiterated that Ibori has not been extradited to anywhere and is still in Dubai according to the bail terms.

The statement explained that when Ibori asked why he was wanted in London, the security agents said it was over credit card fraud.

When Ibori told them that he had not been to London since 2005, they modified the reason and said he was wanted for theft.

Ibori told them that since they were not sure of the charge levelled against him, he would not go with them to London, so they took him to a police station instead.

On Thursday, he was taken to court where he was granted bail, and was allowed to go.

Meanwhile, Ibori has asked his supporters, aides, friends, and political associates not to be unduly bothered about the ordeal he is going through as the rule of law is there to protect any victim of persecution.

“I am presently being persecuted owing to my political belief,” he said.

He accused his political enemies in Nigeria and their United Kingdom co-conspirators of declaring him wanted over charges that have not yet been made public, just to influence the case against his associates in a London court.

“That case has gone on for months, and is on its final stretch now and judgment should be given within days. The prosecution has since closed its case while the defence will make its closing statement on Friday (today).

“That is why both the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and their London Metropolitan Police collaborators have renewed their malicious legal battering against me for no reason whatsoever.

“It is on record that up till this moment, both agencies have not been able to categorically state the charges they have against me – whether individually or collectively.”

Ibori urged his supporters to take solace in the fact that those who disparaged his name by alleging that he is fleeing from the law, while he is actually under the protection of the Asaba Federal High Court ruling, will no longer make such a claim – because on Thursday, he walked out of a court on bail.

He maintained that his whereabouts are not in doubt and there are no law officers on his trail.

“Today, the question, where is Ibori, has been laid to rest. I am in Dubai and the world knows it.”

Back in Nigeria, the Chairman of the Delta State House of Assembly Committee on Peace and Security in Warri South, Kingsley Tenumah, warned that the arrest of Ibori will spark off ethnic politics that could lead to a fresh round of conflict in the state.

He urged President Goodluck Jonathan to tread softly so as not to be seen as taking vengeance on anyone.

“I don’t want to believe Ibori is guilty or has committed any offence that you will trace him all the way to Dubai. I learnt that the Federal Government has withdrawn the case against Nuhu Ribadu.

“If truly they are fighting corruption, why don’t they tell Ribadu to prove his innocence in court?” he queried.

“Any attempt to rock the boat here, the PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) is gone in Delta State,” Tenumah added, expressing optimism that the party machinery at the federal level will not want to lose the state considering its strategic value.
http://www.independentngonline.com/DailyIndependent/Article.aspx?id=13596

Interesting. Very interesting. The facts speak eloquently for themselves. Let the ignorant and gullible masses continue to rupture their vocal chords and shout themselves hoarse in ascribing all of Nigerias woes to the inconsequential James Ibori. Those who know better, know better.

I am most disappointed at this character called Ibori.

I am one person who believes in the rule of law but on this occasion i am finding it really hard to understand what the matter is with ibori and feel like telling him to go jump into the ocean.

What do I call the above story? BULL!!! Pure and total propaganda. Extradition proceedings do not go away that quickly; ask Roman Polanski and Noriega!!! Your boy is most likely still in jail. Besides, we talking a middle eastern country here. . . . .

Protest greets Ibori’s arrest in Delta
…As EFCC presses for extradition
By OLA AGBAJE, Lagos, EMMANUEL OGOIGBE, Warri and BUCHY ENYINNAYA, Asaba
Friday, May 14, 2010


Ibori
Photo: Sun News Publishing
More Stories on This Section
The arrest of former Delta State governor, James Ibori, in far away Dubai on Wednesday, sparked violent protests in his hometown, Oghara yesterday.
Angry youths clad in war-like outfit trooped to the streets early in the morning and barricaded several streets to register their disenchantment over the fate that has befallen their idol.

During the protest, some of the protesting youths were injured when they clashed with security agents deployed there to maintain peace and order while the Federal Government has beefed up security in the area with the deployment of troops to Oghara and the neighbouring communities including Warri, Effurun.
Meanwhile, mixed reactions have continued to greet Ibori’s arrest.
A former Health Commissioner in the state, Dr Richard Tosanwumi, described the development as a big shame that Chief Ibori has allowed himself to be treated like a common criminal and fugitive.

The Chairman, Central Working Committee, Delta State Elders and Leaders Stakeholders Forum contended that the invitation for questioning by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) based on the forums petition should not have led to the ex-governor fleeing the country if his hands were clean as he professes.
According to him, Ibori had severally expressed confidence in the country’s judicial system, adding, why then did he chose to abscond. While insisting that Ibori must comply with the rule of law, he said: “His arrest by Interpol, if proven to be true, has put Deltans in bad light all over the world.

Delta State Elders, Leaders and Stakeholders’ Forum is a patriotic, serous minded body which is determined to ensure that anybody who defraud our state is brought to Justice.”
An Asaba-based legal luminary, Barrister Barrister Chukwuma Ebu said, “If it is true that he has been arrested, the thing was that why should he have ran to the extent of being arrested at another country. Nobody is above the law. He should face EFCC whatever charges are brought against him. Ibori is rich enough to hire chains of SANs to defend himself, so why running in the first place? I don’t want to draw any conclusion that by running he was guilty. Now that he has been found, they will arraign him. I have a feeling that the court might not willingly grant him bail because of his antecedent. Take El-Rufai for instance, he was arraigned and released on bail. Even PDP national chairman, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor was arraigned released on bail because of his antecedents. The court knows that they will be available to stand their trials. By running, EFCC will think he might jump bail. But by and large, he must face the music because nobody is above the law.”

Also reacting, former State Commissioner for Education and Water Resources, and state PDP deputy chairman, Chief Ighoyota Amori said Ibori was already on bail. “He is on bail already. Dubai is an emirate where the rule of law is strictly practised. We have no fear that the Judiciary there will live upto their expectations.”
Governorship candidate, of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) in 2007 Comrade Emmanuel Odafe Igbine declined comments, stressing, “I have no comment for now until I get full details and facts of the reported arrest.
On his part, Chairman of Isoko South Local governmentCouncil and ALGON Chairman, Delta State, Chief Askia Ogeih said, the man was my boss. No matter what happens.”
On its part, the EFCC has expressed delight at the arrest of the former governor who had earlier been declared wanted by the Commission.

According to a statement signed by EFCC spokesman, Femi Babafemi, the anti-graft agency is working with other security agencies such as Interpol and Met Police in the United Kingdom (UK) on the possible extradition of the former governor from Dubai, United Arabs Emirate (UAE).
According to the statement, the EFCC chairman, Farida Waziri, has explained that the arrest of Ibori might not be unconnected with the search for him by Nigerian security agencies and an international warrant of arrest issued against him by the Met Police in UK.

“Yes, we have been working on the former governor. It has been confirmed that Ibori was arrested by the Interpol. We have been exchanging information and interacting with the Interpol and the met police since we declared him wanted. International warrant of arrest was also issued. Yesterday, he was arrested and he is undergoing interrogation with them there. The man in charge of his case in the UK has dispatched detectives to Dubai and we are sending our own people to join them to start the process for his extradition. We also have our cases against him here pending. That is the good news.

“We have a case against him in the appeal court Benin , the 170 count charges. We appealed, the case came up and he was not there. Two, we have fresh charges for which we want to arraign him totally different from the earlier charges. There are other charges against him which we don’t want to reveal for now. As I told you, we have been working very closely but quietly with the Met police. We have been sharing information and we have issues which we don’t want to go into. We are talking with the Interpol, the Met police and the Dubai police whose custody he is right now.
“My initial reaction when I heard of Ibori’s arrest was that of excitement, and surprise too. Surprise because somebody said he had gone to Ghana. Some people also said he was still somewhere in Delta, some said, in his Village in Warri. My mind never went to Dubai. But the Met police had a relationship with Dubai police. They told me that if he was in Dubai they would get him that it would be easier to track him down .If he had gone to places like China or Japan, and then it would have been difficult. I was very excited.

“EFCC is prepared to prosecute him without leaving any loose end. Before, we declared him wanted, of course to arraign him. We have some charges and we have witnesses and we are prepared on our side,” she said.
Meanwhile, chief Ibori has appealed to his supporters, aides, friends and political associates not to be unduly bothered about the ordeal he is going through as the rule of law is always there to protect any victim of persecution.
Ibori in a statement signed by Tony Eluemunor ascribed his travail to his political enemies in Nigeria and their United Kingdom co-conspirators “just to influence the outcome of the case against some of his associates in a London court. “That case has gone on for months, and it is in its final stretch now and judgement should be given within days.

The prosecution has since closed its case while the defence will make their closing statement on Friday today. That is why both the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and their London Metropolitan Police collaborators have renewed their malicious legal battering against me for no reason whatsoever. It is on record that up till this moment, both agencies have not been able to categorically state the charges they have against me -whether individually or collectively,” he said.

He asked his followers to take solace in that fact that those who denigrated his name by alleging that he was fleeing from the law, while he was actually under the protection of the Federal High Court, Asaba ruling, will no longer make such a claim, because today, he walked out of a court on bail, his whereabouts not in doubt and no law officers on his trail. “Today, the question where is Ibori, has been laid to rest. I am in Dubai and the world knows it,” he said.




http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/may/14/national-14-05-2010-003.htm

i wonder what goodluck jonathan has to nigeria and nigerians in his fortunate tenure.
i wonder why ibori has turned out to be a national problem instead of delta problem.
this jonathan of a thing acting out the script of his father(obj) shld concentrate of solving immediate nigerian problems rather than boring the masses with ibori.
is it possible that among those politicians calling for ibori's head, there is any innocent among them?
the truth is that they are now using ibori to divert the attention of the ppl.
why can't this jonathan work on the programmes of his dead boss find a lasting solution to the militants in his home land.
it is mad how we all get decieved always.
sometime ago, it was the mother of orji uzor kalu and we were all here shouting at the top of our voices and all of a sudden no one of us asked how far with the woman. again, it was orji uzor kalu and we all shouted, crucify him, crucify him and later on as usual no more news. it cam up to atiku, wow, the highest criminal nigeria has ever seen but at the end of the election in 2007, no one cared again. harliburton, power probes, lagos benin express ways contract awards to tony annenih and today it is ibori. how many of these cases have been handled and ended well?
are we not just like ballons in the sea moved by the directions of the wind? these same criminal minded ppl using our minds at will.
compare to the real situation in nigeria, compare to what is happening at the federal level, ibori is a saint.
i am from imo state, my former gov has been made a minister while ibori who was there with him is facing the fg so what difference does it make probing all the govs since we all know they all steal?
selective justice is more destroying than the corruption itself.

Why is the whole hullabaloo all about Ibori dipping his hands into funds of over $290Million, what has been done to IBB who has $12Billion unaccounted for?

Who has asked Anenih what he did with $750Million allocated for roads.

Why is it morning, afternoon evening always Ibori? 

Is Ibori's middle name corruption? 

Ikomi:

Why is the whole hullabaloo all about Ibori dipping his hands into funds of over $290Million, what has been done to IBB who has $12Billion unaccounted for?

Who has asked Anenih what he did with $750Million allocated for roads.

Why is it morning, afternoon evening always Ibori?

Is Ibori's middle name corruption?

yes.

i agree hes not the only corrupt one but lets start with one

when we are done with him, we'll move to the next person
simple

It is very clear that some people here are on Ibori's payrol and are willing to lay down their lives in his defense.

Abeg make dem go siddon jare.

I know my people. All those people protesting in Oghara and environs will keep quiet after a while and continue like nothing happened.
Ibori should be flown immediately to the UK and let him go and prove his innocence.

Guys, do you remember that some months ago, Ibori dared Ribadu to come to Nigeria if he can to answer charges? Well Ribadu is in Nigeria now.
However, Ribadu also dared Ibori to come to the UK, If Ibori is the real ogiridigbo like he calls himself, then he should buy a plane ticket and fly to the UK.

^^^ Did he?

desgiezd:

^^^ Did he?

did he (who?) do what?

Did Ibori take up Ribadu's challenge by visting UK? LOL!

desgiezd:

Did Ibori take up Ribadu's challenge by visting UK? LOL!

We're still waiting. Let the ogiridigbo of oghara take up the challenge else he is a coward!

If Ibori is the real ogiridigbo like he calls himself, then he should buy a plane ticket and fly to the UK.

what is there in UK for Ibori to see?

otawa:

what is there in UK for Ibori to see?

His sister is there, his wife has been there for over two years (Im sure he has not set eyes on her except on skype video cam, lol). Let him go and visit them nah? Isnt that enough reason?

Won't we all be ashemed when this Ibori bruhaha melt into oblivon like other cases of corruption b4 now.

His sister is there, his wife has been there for over two years (Im sure he has not set eyes on her except on skype video cam, lol). Let him go and visit them nah? Isnt that enough reason?

am not interested in his private life.

by the way, when is UK returning back to Nigeria, the Abacha loot with them($1.2billion)

desgiezd:

It is very clear that some people here are on Ibori's payrol and are willing to lay down their lives in his defense.

Don't take cheap shots. 

The fact is that what we are witnessing here is jungle justice, the big thief declares the small thief a common criminal and so is used as a scape goat, in other that his own loot would be forgoten.

If there is going to be justice at all start with the big league thief then, that would be sending a clear message to the populace that as a small or big thief there would be no place to hide.

But the message here is relatively clear, if you are a small thief, you would be hunted down, but if you are in the big league you could even think of contesting an election, while everyone turns the other way.

whether big thief or small thief, no be thief?no be only ibori be thief accepted but right now na him we fit catch,one day monkey go go market he no go come back.

andromida:

whether big thief or small thief, no be thief?no be only ibori be thief accepted but right now na him we fit catch,one day monkey go go market he no go come back.

Now you are talking.

Ibori is the unfortunate monkey that went into the market on a wrong day.

That is the more reason why they should temper justice with mercy, if we know there are big thieves out there who should be prosecuted then the small thief should not be hanged. At least not until the small thief see his teachers hanged.

some people are calling ibori a small thief?

what did he do - pick n20 out of someone's pocket?

Ikomi:

Now you are talking.

Ibori is the unfortunate monkey that went into the market on a wrong day.
That is the more reason why they should temper justice with mercy, if we know there are big thieves out there who should be prosecuted then the small thief should not be hanged. At least not until the small thief see his teachers hanged.

When Ibori stole zinc roofing sheets and commitetd credit card fraud in the Uk pre 1999 elections, was he not a 'small' thief in your estimation then? Didn't he contest elections? I really don't get your point to be honest. The guy is a thief, have you ever been robbed before? If you have and you had the opportunity of catching the thief, would you say because he is a small thief you won't hand him over to the authorities?

Ibori is a thief, and he should be prosecuted. The other ones will be caught in due time.

otawa:

am not interested in his private life.

by the way, when is UK returning back to Nigeria, the Abacha loot with them($1.2billion)

lol, Abacha's loot is with them? As in Abacha stole money and gave it to the PM?

BTW, I am interested in his private life o. Very interested indeed. That's why I feel so bad for his wife and sister here, especially his wife. She must be real lonely. What sort of man leaves his wife for many years and not at least pay her a visit? Abeg Ibori, your wife needs you in UK. These are trying times for her.

Okay oohhhh, I agree we must kill Ibori.

@Ikomi,

You be Itshekiri man or woman, and I an so surprised that you are classing Ibori as small monkey or Thief. Well, Ibori is probably the biggest Thief In Nigeria.

Go and do your sums. what happened to all the money given to Delta state during his 8yrs in power, like some say it does not amount to #20. Conservatively I would be looking in the Trillions of Naira.

And in my eye, as a Delta man, he is the biggest Thief on the face of this Earth.