AML/ CFT: wife of Nigerian politician jailed in UK for laundering state funds
James Ibori was the governor of Delta State - an oil-rich part of Nigeria which has been the scene of much violence in recent years. Residents fighting for control of the state, or parts of it, argue that they don't see the benefits from the oil trade. Now we know where at least part of the state's money has been going. Ibori's wife had it in London.
Nkoyo (aka Theresa) Ibori was sentenced yesterday by a London court on charges of money laundering and theft from state coffers while James Ibori was governor. Her trial lasted several weeks.
It's not the first time the family has come before the Crown Court in Southwark: Ibori’s sister, Christine Ibie-Ibori, and his alleged lover, Udoamaka Okoronkwo-Onuigbo have previously been sentenced to five years in jail for laundering.
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Ibori, however, has not yet appeared before a British court. He's holed up in Dubai to where he ran when the investigation began to get too close. The UK prosecutors seeking his extradition are fighting his appeal against the extradition order Dubai made. Their case is made more difficult because a Nigerian court acquitted Ibori of 170 charges laid by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nigeria's FIU which also has investigative and enforcement powers. There are unconfirmed reports that Ibori has asked Dubai for political asylum.
That is unlikely to be too well received: Ibori's flight was triggered by an investigation into dealings in shares in Oceanic Bank - a scandal which worsened an already fragile Nigerian banking sector and led to the Governor of the Central Bank threatening to impose direct control over several banks if they did not sort out their management.
Bhadresh Gohil, a solicitor in England, was also convicted but his sentencing has been deferred until the conclusion of a trial relating to the sale of shares in telecoms company V Mobile. Amongst the defendants in that trial are the former governor of Akwa Ibom state, Victor Attah.
The convictions yesterday relate to an estimated laundering of some GBP70 million.
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