By Anita Coulson BBC News

Nigeria's attorney-general is stalling efforts to recover millions of dollars looted by former Nigerian officials, sources have told the BBC.

Michael Aondoakaa has complained of procedural problems in a UK request for help in the case of a former governor, accused of diverting public funds. James Ibori's $35m assets have been frozen by a British court and the UK wants Nigerian help in the case.

British officials insist that their request was made in the normal way. Sources in both London and Abuja have told the BBC News website that there is widespread concern that the attorney-general's insistence that everything be done by the book is a delaying tactic.

Mr Aondoakaa was named attorney-general in July, after President Umaru Yar'Adua took office six months ago, promising to tackle corruption. Evidence James Ibori is one of several former Nigerian officials under investigation by British police - at Nigeria's request - for alleged money-laundering of looted public funds. In the Ibori case, as in previous ones, the Nigerians were asked to supply evidence that the disputed assets could not have been obtained by honest means. This exchange of information, under the Mutual Legal Assistance agreement between the two countries, is required to satisfy a British court that the assets are the proceeds of crime and can be repatriated.

As state governor, Mr Ibori's annual salary was less than $25,000 a year, yet he was able to transfer millions of dollars to UK bank accounts with which he bought expensive properties and cars.

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Yet an official letter to the office of the Nigerian attorney-general (AGF) from Britain's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) failed to result in the customary sharing of evidence. Instead, the letter was published in the Nigerian media, while Mr Aondoakaa suggested the British had failed to use the appropriate channels. A letter from Britain's Director of Public Prosecutions Ken MacDonald warned Mr Aondoakaa that it was not just the Ibori case being endangered by the lack of co-operation. "The difficulty and lack of progress in obtaining hard evidence from Nigeria is causing major difficulties in relation to the court proceedings in the United Kingdom and putting these other cases in jeopardy," Mr Macdonald wrote, according to the Financial Times.

Efforts by the BBC's Abuja bureau to interview Mr Aondoakaa have proved fruitless. In a subsequent interview with Nigeria's Leadership newspaper Mr Aondoakaa made clear that one of his concerns was that the letter requesting assistance was not signed personally by British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, but by a state lawyer. "The law that gave me the power of Mutual Legal Assistance says the Home Secretary should send a request. "A state counsel will send a request to me, not even his Home Secretary, and you want me to sign. No! Are you considering the bigger image of Nigeria?" he said.

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British officials have declined to comment on the row - Home Office policy is such that it cannot even confirm or deny that a request for Mutual Legal Assistance has been made. However, the CPS has confirmed in a statement to the BBC News website, that of eight official requests for assistance from Nigeria, all but the Ibori case and one subsequent one involving an as yet unnamed individual, were acted upon.

In the past it appears that evidence obtained by Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is investigating 30 out of the 36 former state governors for alleged corruption, was made available to British investigators and prosecutors.

Nigerian analysts say that since the appointment of Mr Aondoakaa in July, there has been an internal battle between the office of the attorney general and the EFCC.

Further conflicts of interest have been reported with suggestions that Mr Ibori is close both to Mr Aondoakaa and to President Yar'Adua.

Clearly, YAD has something to hide concerning his purpoted war on corruption otherwise, why would the AGF in his government continue to be so difficult in helping to nail an accussed thief and recover the stolen moeny ?

There is no doubt that Ibori is "too sacred and too hot" for YAD.

Also, for Umaru to have appointed somebody like Aondooaka, with his antecedents of representing and defending people accussed of corruption in court, and with all the public outcry against him, to have still left the man not only in his (Umaru) government but in such a sensitive position, tells all the story. There is no will to fight corruption.

At least OBJ tried. He fought his enemies who were corrupt. Gentle Umaru has no enemies, fights nobody. He may not be corrupt as a person, but he is unwilling to cage his friends who are corrupt and is not ready to make enemies in the fight against corruption.

To be honest, I think the fight against corruption is now officially dead in Nigeria.

At least OBJ tried. He fought his enemies who were corrupt.

well Ibori is not Yaradau enermy. so case closed.

In a subsequent interview with Nigeria's Leadership newspaper Mr Aondoakaa made clear that one of his concerns was that the letter requesting assistance was not signed personally by British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, but by a state lawyer.

"The law that gave me the power of Mutual Legal Assistance says the Home Secretary should send a request.

"A state counsel will send a request to me, not even his Home Secretary, and you want me to sign. No! Are you considering the bigger image of Nigeria?" he said.

so let Home Secretary send the request to AGF. simple or the british cannot folllow simple issues??

babasin:



so let Home Secretary send the request to AGF. simple or the british cannot folllow simple issues??

Some of the things you say at times is very senseless, who is recovering money here Britain or Nigeria?

Britain should simply drop all money laundering charges involving Nigerians, and simply note Nigeria for what it is.

Some of the things you say at times is very senseless, who is recovering money here Britain or Nigeria?

issues involving 2-countries must be done properly: especially Brits, masters of divide & rule.

It is in material who is receiving money; IBORI is not yet guilty of any crime by any law court in the world.

we all remember Alam: the same british encourage/assisted him to escape to Nigeria!

what is important, 'rule of law' must clearly be followed.

If brits are serious, let them follow the same laid-down agreement and stop sensation.

Home Secretary should send the request to AGF, if they cant, then case closed.

Babasin you are a character! Enjoy the rot that is Nigeria. As someone said earlier,
at least OBJ allowed the EFCC to do its thing albeit on his enemies who none could
deny were clean. Nigeria is certainly doomed with folks like you.

Good times are coming back for the thieves in our society.

Again when OBJ was fighting corruption people condemn him for using EFCC and police to fight and victimise his enemies.

Now the table is turned, MR YAR ADUA AKA GO SLOW is not tackling corruption, but protecting all his friends with the AGF.

now we see what OBJ was dealing with.

However, the CPS has confirmed in a statement to the BBC News website, that of eight official requests for assistance from Nigeria, all but the Ibori case and one subsequent one involving an as yet unnamed individual, were acted upon.

Babasin master rule of law explain how of 8 official letters from the same source, 6 were acted upon and 2 were not from the right source. Probably the Queen must write Ibori's investigation, afterall he is an oil sheik and thus all correspondence concerning Ibori must come from royals.

mman tell the AGF to find a better propaganda, the whole "rule of law" rubish is outdated

With the topmost law enforcement officer in this new administration seeming to be working for the known looters on Nigeria, how can this administration be shown to be fighting corruption??
Aondoakaa is another of Obasanjo plants, to make sure status quo and protection of Nigeria's thieves is assured.
When you realy look beyond the surface of Nigeria's consecutive governments, we see that in the end, they are all the same, and Obasanjo rules by proxy. Yar'Adua by seeming unable to control his AGF or in tandem with his double speak, is realy just a resident at Aso rock and a puppet president planted by the emperor of Otta Farms.

Until Yar'Adua an illegimate president, does away with this guy. No prosecution of these mega thieves will take place.
maybe then, we can start to believe his good intentions on wanting to clean up Nigeria, and also make a clean break from Obasanjo.
This is why this fraud of an AGF wants Ribadu out of the way, so he can scuttle all proceedings against the
thieve-executives!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He stated that under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty signed between Nigeria and Britain, the appropriate authority to ask for mutual legal assistance from Britain was the Home Office, while the AGF was the appropriate authority in Nigeria.

He said that the British authorities insulted Nigeria by asking a Crown counsel with the Metropolitan Police to write to him seeking mutual legal assistance.

"In Nigeria, a Crown Counsel is the equivalent of a state counsel, a level 8 officer. So I refused and told them that they have to do the right thing. I think Nigeria, as a sovereign nation deserves some respect. They knew they were wrong, otherwise why did they now write through the Home Office requesting mutual assistance to quiz a prominent Nigeria, Chief Mike Adenuga?

I fully support AGF. 'rule of law/engagement' must be follow at all time.

He further stated that without reference to his office, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) sent evidence, including bank statements and other documents to London on Ibori, and that it was later the commission who wrote to him asking him to authorise the British Authorities to use the evidence.

"Now, how can I sign something which did not pass through my office? I do not know the documents in question because they were not even attached to the letter the commission sent to me. How can someone accuse me of shielding Ibori under such a circumstance?

exactly. things must be done correctly with consistent procedure.

somebody we end up stealing the money anyway, its all a game a vicious cycle,

It is really bad that Yar Adua govt is getting a bad name in the international community , i wonder how investment would come to Nigeria. Who really would want to invest if they feel unsave,  Look first came the dangote refinery  return,  and Nicon case,  Why would any bank abroad borrow a Nigerian money when they know the federal govt of Nigeria would destroy avenue for investment,  This people working for Yar Adua looks like they are working against the people of Nigeria,  For the last 6 month,  Yar Adua govt have not score any major point in investment or program that may touch people life,  Why, because the people around him are given Yar Adua wrong advice,  He need to get rid of them,  A good name is better than gold,  Nobody would remember the name of those who work for Yar Adua govt,  It is only Yar Adua names people would be calling. Only Yar Adua name would go into the mud.  Who remember the name of the bad people in Abacha govt,  We only know about Abacha, 
The President should keep is good name,  And get rid of Enermy of Nigeria people.