An ex-lawyer for James Ibori, the former governor of the Nigerian oil state, was ordered by a London court on Monday to pay around 28 million pounds (about $36 million) for his assistance in concealing illegally obtained funds.
In connection with his assistance to Ibori, who served as governor of Delta State in southern Nigeria from 1999 to 2007, Bhadresh Gohil was found guilty in 2010 on 13 counts of money laundering and other offences. Ibori was in charge of Delta State from 1999 to 2007. He helped Ibori keep the revenue incurred from criminal activities safe.
Gohil, who received a 10-year sentence in 2010 and served half of it, was given a Monday order to pay a little over 28 million pounds or risk receiving a second six-year sentence, according to a statement from the British Crown Prosecution Office (CPS).
The order was given when Ibori was given an eight-year sentence or forced to pay 101.5 million pounds ($130 million) for abusing his position to amass wealth and laundering it in Britain and other countries.
Ibori announced he will appeal from Nigeria.
According to information, his confiscation order is the second largest issued under Britain’s Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 since it went into effect. The sixth biggest is Gohil’s.
Britain is a global money-laundering centre thanks to its highly developed banking and legal systems, as well as its thriving real estate market, but the foreign kleptocrats it attracts are rarely brought to justice, and Ibori’s case continues to be an anomaly.
Due to protracted judicial delays and legal fighting in London, the confiscation process has taken more than ten years after Ibori’s conviction.
The National Crime Agency (NCA), a party to the proceedings, claimed that the case proved the agency’s commitment to pursuing unlawfully acquired funds that have been invested in Britain.
“Ibori’s funds will be returned to the Nigerian government where they will be reinvested into public services,” NCA Branch Commander Suzanne Foster stated. Britain gave back the 4.2 million pounds it had taken from Ibori’s sister and ex-wife in 2021 after they had both served time in prison for aiding him.
The rulings marked a crucial turning point in the protracted legal proceedings, but enforcement and repatriation would be difficult, according to Helen Taylor, senior legal researcher at the campaign group Spotlight on Corruption.
Taylor said, “After more than a decade of delay, it’s essential that the UK now moves swiftly to ensure the transparent and accountable return of these confiscated assets to Nigeria.”
