NIGERIA CONVICTED ALONGSIDE IBORI

Supporters of former Delta State governor James Ibori were on Monday barred from the London’s Southwark Crown Court room where he was to be sentenced after pleading guilty to money laundering.

Many of the supporters also claimed to be journalists representing various Nigerian media just to find their way into

the court room.

Following the unruly situation officers from the Metropolitan Police, who were deployed to control the crowd, allowed only journalists representing the British media and some members of Ibori’s family into the court room.

Some supporters of the embattled former governor told NAN they wanted Ibori to serve his prison term in Nigeria.

“Yes! We want him to be transferred to Nigeria because he did not commit the crime in the UK,” they said. What a shameful statement! No wonder it is so difficult for us to fight corruption. In that case how do we expect to grow and develop when we still go ahead to support criminal acts even as far as outside the shore of this country.

It is a big slap on our face; a disgrace to our judiciary system that the same man that was freed by a Nigerian judge, pleaded guilty to 10 count charge. We should feel ashamed that it took a London court to sentence Ibori. It is a disgrace that we do not have the judicial and political courage to sentence Ibori and many other public and political office holders, who are roaming the streets free.

In December 2009, a Federal High Court judge in Asaba, Delta State, Justice Marcel Awokulehin dismissed the 170-count charge filed by the EFCC against Chief James Ibori on the ground that a prima facie case was not established against him. 

Three years later, he was made to face similar offences in the United Kingdom. When the accused found that he could not manipulate the British criminal justice system, he pleaded guilty to the charges. He was accordingly convicted and sentenced to 13 years imprisonment.

The Ibori saga has exposed the Nigerian legal system to unprecedented ridicule and humiliation, I am so sad because not only Chief Ibori, his wife, sister, mistress and lawyers are convicted but alongside Nigeria, which is convicted to shame!