· Family and aides of the former Delta governor run helter-skelter to salvage what’s left of his badly managed estate
Like the neurotic catfish that lies on the bed of the river, precariously settled in the mud, waiting to be speared, aides, families and business associates of James Ibori, former Delta State governor are somewhat paranoid.
They live in dread of the day James Ibori will finally emerge from prison, as a free man. A close source to the ex-governor revealed that following reports that Ibori will complete his jail term next year, families and close allies that he left in charge of his businesses and assets in Nigeria have started running helter-skelter to revive the mostly moribund businesses.
In frantic effort to salvage what’s left of the former governor’s businesses and assets, family and friends left in charge of his estate while he served his jail term, have started visiting banks to apply for huge loans meant to resuscitate his dying business empire.
It would be recalled that in 2012, Ibori was accused of stealing $250 million from the Nigerian public fund. Ibori pleaded guilty to ten counts of money laundering and conspiracy to defraud South Crown Court in London, United Kingdom (UK).
Consequently, he was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment by the South Crown court in the UK, for his crimes and his properties abroad, worth millions of dollars was confiscated. Ibori has been away for a long time now.
He was accused of corruption in Nigeria and he was so powerful that he scaled the judicial hurdle as the case against him was thrown into the bin. But he could not repeat same in the United Kingdom where he was indicted of fraud, and he is currently facing the music.
Since his incarceration, close allies and relations have reportedly mismanaged most of the properties and businesses and some have even diverted the gains from the businesses into personal use while some have changed the names of Ibori’s organisations to their own.
The latter certainly has a lot of things to be fearful of.
James Ibori was the former governor of Delta state between 1999 and 2007.
