NewStats: 3,263,371 , 8,179,929 topics. Date: Thursday, 05 June 2025 at 05:21 PM 5t3u1f

The Oghara Development Union, ODU, Lagos Branch, on Tuesday, called on the Federal Government to insist that every single penny that has been forfeited by Chief James Ibori’s associates in the London trial, should be returned to Nigeria.

Ibori is from Oghara town in the Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State. The union in a statement by its General Secretary, Chief Sunday Agbofodoh, said the federal government to insist that three buildings seized by the United Kingdom government through Court order be repatriated to Nigeria.

Backing its claim with documents, the Union said the UK government lied as it did not return the full money forfeited by three women who were associated in the London case which amounted to £6.2 million pounds and not £4.2 million pounds as claimed by the UK government.

The statement reads: “The Oghara Development Union stands squarely with Chief Ibori in maintaining his innocence, and so without conceding that Ibori was guilty as charged, and specifying that the forfeited houses were not bought with illicit funds, we nevertheless call on Nigeria to insist that the full worth of the three buildings seized through a court order, be repatriated to Nigeria.”

Reacting to a story that broke online Tuesday March 9, that Britain and Nigeria had signed an “MOU on the £4.2 million” forfeited by the three women associates of the Ibori London case, the union said as the United Kingdom claimed to be acting without ulterior motives on Nigeria’s behalf, that all the monies forfeited should be returned to Nigeria.
The union said it has followed the case diligently and knows that the sum the women forfeited was £6.2 million and not £4.2 million. It said Nigeria should oppose UK’s hypocrisy and insist that the entire sum be returned to Nigeria, or UK would have been engaged in witch-hunting Ibori for profit, by withholding Two Million Pounds Sterling.

“Nigeria should also demand for the interest on the £6.2 million since 2012 because the money would not have sat idly in the bank without attracting interest”. The ODU said that all assets linked to Ibori were purchased using funds lawfully and properly obtained and some were bought before Ibori became Governor. Ibori’s businesses and the monies that accrued to them were not hidden from the London and Nigerian “persecutors”.

The London Police filed in court a paper which showed that one of Ibori’s companies, Mer Engineering, was earning over $7 million annually. The London house linked to the First Lady of Delta state when Ibori was Governor, the Hampstead property is owned by a family trust. The property was purchased by the company, MER engineering, which shareholding was held by his family trust. MER had obtained facility loan from NNB, a Nigerian bank.

The value of this property at the time of its purchase was £2.1 million, which was covered by the NNB facility of well over £3 million meant for working capital and financing of assets. The second property belonged to Miss Udoamaka Okoronkwo, and was purchased for £249, 000 through mortgage. Miss Udoamaka is a successful business woman as can be seen from the facility letter dated 19 December 2005 from a bank in favour of her company, Sagicon Nig, Ltd for N121 million (£1.5 million).
The third property, very modest, belonged to Ibori’s sister, a U.K resident, which she purchased for £140, 000. Her husband is a former Federal Permanent Secretary. The Union which said it has been following the case diligently said it is unjust for the UK government to give a false impression that Ibori had no money by the time he became governor of Delta state in 1999.

It said MER Engineering (Nig Ltd), one of Ibori’s companies was established in 1992, seven years before he became governor of Delta state.

The ODU said: “As a court ordered that the buildings be forfeited, however unjust that order is, all the monies realised MUST return to Nigeria. It is on record that Ibori was a successful businessman before he became a Governor in May 1999, involved in oil logistics (Upstream) and trading (Downstream). One of his companies, MER Engineering (Nig Ltd), was established in 1992, seven years before he became Governor. He was publisher of a national newspaper called “Diet”, now called “Daily Independent”.

Also Ibori had a consultancy job with the Federal Government, with a tripartite agreement between him, the FG and the law firm Washington Christian of USA from which he earned between US$ 3 million to US$ 5 million annually, after successfully reaching the specified goals.
“His bank statements with the Bank of Austria, the Citibank, Barclays Bank and the Meryl Lynch for those years will also show that he had substantial wealth of his own before he held public office for the first time in May 1999. For instance, on March 11, 1998, his Bank of Austria contained $557,100.00”.

“His Citibank contained even more; over $1.5 million dollars in 1998. In fact, the Nigerian and UK persecutors (instead of prosecutors) knew that Ibori was already a Citibank Gold and Private Bank Member and a Gold Card member of the British Airways before he became Governor. But they chose the rags to riches publicity stunt to justify their persecution of Ibori for political reasons. It is well-known that before Ibori became Governor, he self-funded his entire political campaigns – with all the party candidates in 1999”.

“This should put to rest the lies that Ibori was not wealthy before he became Governor of Delta state” the Union said.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/03/ibori-wealthy-before-becoming-delta-governor-odu/

hmmm ok

Ibori dey prison dey control all Delta state elections,that guy level long die

Stories.

So why couldn't he relax and chop his money peacefully where no searchlight would be put before him?

Are they saying that wealthy people don't steal?

The same way some Yorubas will tell us that Tinubu is richer than Lagos before he became governor of Lagos state.

Criminals. Where's jidennajason to defend his hero

Ibori is a known criminal, dirty one at that


ODU defending defending him are just senile fools who are just looking for small change from thief ibori

UK should have allowed him rot in prison

Meanwhile since the money will be used in construction of Abuja - Kano road second Niger bridge and Lagos Ibadan express way....no wahala..

ODUotics! So because someone is from your town and you are beneficiaries,you have to turn you face away from obvious crime he committed?No wonder this country is the way it is.

Nwodosis:
Are they saying that wealthy people don't steal?

Don't mind the dullards.Was Orji Kalu not rich but yet embezzled in government?

Whoever did this to Nigeria wicked. See as these people are celebrating their nemesis

“This should put to rest the lies that Ibori was not wealthy before he became Governor of Delta state” the Union said.

Then why the massive plundering of the State resources ? Does a wealthy person steal ?

U

Rubbish

See ehn, no matter what the government, NGOs will do to move this nation and it's people forward, some people will still remain stupid and foolish and some of them will never move forward no matter how you help them. Na wa o

This ODU will be a good case study.

Anyone that will be governor are mostly rich, but government makes them dangerously rich

Ibori and Tinubu are both thieves

ThatFairGuy:
Jidennajason who always take front of nairaland thread was nowhere to be found. What a surprise

You're also ashamed of your role model or what happened

Him don japa

garfield1:
where is jason jidenna?

d er of ex-convict no go ever show face here lailai. Shameless lots they are.

garfield1:
But the hypocrite will show face once it concerns jagaban

No mind am.
Hypocrisy is their middle name.
Dat one don vex scatter.
Hahaha

See am below....

Quick fact

It is physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky.

bolaayenimo:

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/03/ibori-wealthy-before-becoming-delta-governor-odu/

The negro....smh

YET HE STOLE MONEY...

Wealthy from oil bunkering na, no be dem dey impoverish & underdevelop the niger delta region... smh

Stockholm syndrome ...

Nothing more, nothing less.

Nasoh e dey start , media don dey hype another fraud, him wan come context. Mann enjoy ur loot before dem drag ur werey again

Alright. . . . . . .Ajie

Issoright


Abeg

The Problems of Nigeria are her people.

You claimed that no money was looted by him with your lawyer standing in his defense at the court, yet you wanted the money repatriated to your state.

Same man that beg guilty for leniency

You wanted interest accrued to the money in contention, not knowing that once a looted money is in contention at the court, no interest will be accrued to the money.

A lot of delta leaders are rogues and illiterates

One big for nothing idiot claiming to be secretary general of a useless association has mind to be calling for return of money to a thief who has made he the secretary general and his kids not to have a better life because of the peanuts he is going to get.....people are really suffering mental slavery

Stupid people see mumu cover up
we deserve our kind of governments honestly