The Southwark Crown Court 9 in London on Tuesday sentenced a former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, to 13 years in prison for money laundering and corruption.
Ibori has been standing trial before Judge Anthony Pitts for corruption and alleged theft of $250 million.
He had on February 27, 2012 pleaded guilty to 10 counts of 10 counts of fraud, money laundering and corruption involving the sale of Delta State Government shares in a defunct mobile phone firm, VMobile, as well as the illicit use of funds belonging to the state government.
The prosecution stated that as governor, he racked up credit card bills of $200,000 (£126,000) per month on a luxury lifestyle, including running a fleet of armoured Range Rovers.
He was trying to buy a plane for £12m at the time he was arrested.
Ibori admitted one count of conspiracy to launder money, five of money laundering and one of obtaining a property transfer by deception over the theft of more than £25m while he was governor.
He also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud, conspiracy to make false instruments, and one count of money laundering linked to a $37m (£23.3m) share fraud surrounding the sale of shares in VMobile.
Prosecutor Sasha Wass told the court Ibori had accepted he was involved in “wide-scale theft, fraud and corruption when he was governor of Delta State.”
Ibori admitted several money laundering charges and deception. He allegedly used a false date of birth when he ran for governor in 1999, to conceal previous convictions.
His previous criminal record would have excluded him from taking part in the election.
Ms Wass added, “Mr Ibori tricked his way into public office. He had tricked the Nigerian authorities and the Nigerian voters. He was thus never the legitimate governor of Delta State.”
According to prosecutors, he is 49, but according to the date of birth he used in Nigeria he would be 53, skynews reports..
Ibori was working as a cashier in a branch of the DIY chain in Ruislip, Middlesex, before he moved to Nigeria and worked his way up through the political ranks to become a state governor in 1999.
The sentencing trial began on Monday, with the court listening to closing arguments from the prosecution and defence.
The prosecution had on Monday described Ibori as “a common thief,” whose looting of Delta State was mind-boggling.
When the hearing resumed on Tuesday, Ibori’s lawyer, Nicholas Purnell, strove hard to put up a strong defence for him.
He said Ibori’s lawyer, Bradesh Gohil, misled the former governor into engaging in unlawful acts of money laundering.
The lawyer said Ibori helped to get foreigners seized by militants in the Niger Delta freed, noting that he got letters of commendation from various embassies.
A former Nigerian international footballer, John Fashanu, was called to give testimony on Ibori’s character.
He stated that Delta State witnessed immense development under Ibori, especially in the area of sports.
He said Ibori built stadiums where repentant militants trained and transformed to sports stars.
He also said Ibori built a shooting range in Nigeria on virgin land, which made the sport popular in the country.
In the course of Tuesday’s session, the judge said Ibori would not only be sentenced but would lose his properties.
The court adjourned at a point and resumed at 2.30p.m UK time.
When the session resumed, the judge reportedly said the “history of dishonesty, corruption and theft in the first indictment would alone attract the maximum or close to the maximum sentence allowed by law, but there is another indictment of serious fraud which you have plead guilty to.”
He made mention of the VMobile shares fraud in which Ibori was indicted and described it as a “confidence trick.”
The judge also made reference to a $15 million bribe allegedly offered a former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, by Ibori some years ago.
Ibori was extradited from Dubai to the UK in April 2011 and Detective Inspector Paul Whatmore said it was estimated that Ibori stole around $250m (£157m) from his state.
He said, “The scale can only be described as huge. Vast sums of money which were used to fund his lavish lifestyle.
“The real harm in this case is the potential loss to people in some of the poorest regions in the world.”
Attempts will now be made to confiscate as much of the money as possible, so that it can be returned to the state government, Whatmore said.
Ibori’s wife Theresa, sister Christine Ibori-Idie, mistress Udoamaka Okoronkwo and London-based solicitor Bhadresh Gohil have all already been convicted for their part in the money-laundering.
