Ibori loot: Bank documentation shouldn’t take years-Oghara Union

The Oghara Development Union (ODU), Lagos branch, has asked the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to tell Nigerians the truth about the delay in repatriating the proceeds of assets confiscated from the three ladies in the Ibori trials.

Malami had, in a statement by his spokesman, Umar Gwandu, on Monday, said documentations with banks in different countries were delaying the repatriation of the £4.2m stashed away by a former governor of Delta State, James Ibori.

But the ODU, in a statement yesterday by its General Secretary, Sunday Agbofodoh, described Malami’s claim of bank documentations as scandalous and far from reality.

The union said: "This is laughable. It is also noteworthy that the Minister gave no idea of when the monies would be returned to Nigeria and Delta state. The British Authorities are obviously up to some game here.

“We say this because we know for a fact that the monies in question have been in the custody of the British Government since 2010, a clear eleven years plus ago. Also, it is instructive that Nigeria and Britain had long ago signed an MOU on the repatriation of the proceeds. Both parties have continuously celebrated this victory in the press.

The ODU said: “we know for a fact that our beloved son, Chief James Onanefe Ibori is a victim of political persecution concealed as an anti-corruption fight, and we are happy that Nigerians are now knowing the truth of the wicked lies that deluged, swamped and overwhelmed him. He has served out his prison sentence and since returned to Nigeria and his native Oghara community.

“We are however concerned that facts are still being twisted for propaganda purposes only to keep the issue in the media in perpetuity".