Dubai Court Orders Extradition Of Ex-Governor Ibori

Dubai Court Orders Extradition Of Ex-Governor Ibori

Dubai's highest court has ruled that former Delta state governor James Ibori can be extradited to the United Kingdom to face corruption charges.

He was accused by the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), of stealing more than $ 290 million of state funds while he was the governor between 1999 and 2007.

Similarly, British investigators say he channelled much of the money into banks in the UK .

Ibori, who denied the charges, was detained in May after the intervention of the global police agency, Interpol.

The ruling

The Dubai Court ruled that there were no grounds to block the extradition based on the evidences adduced by Nigeria 's EFCC and the UK Metropolitan Police.

In 2007, a London court froze UK assets worth $ 35 m allegedly belonging to him. His annual salary was less than $ 25,000 . He had already left the UK when his assets were seized.

Ibori, who is a member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was first arrested in Nigeria in December 2007.

Two years later, a court in Asaba cleared him of 170 -counts charges of corruption, saying there was no clear evidence to convict, sparking the anger of Nigeria 's anti-corruption agency, the EFCC.

NP/Agnes/Qasim/Yinka