Chris Steven, Abuja
Nigeria and the United Kingdom have reached an agreement for the latter to return the sum of £4.2 million assets stolen by James Ibori, a former governor of Delta State to Nigeria.
According to a Channels Television report, Catriona Laing, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria disclosed this in Abuja, the nation’s capital on Tuesday.
Laing at the signing of the MoU at the Conference Hall of the Ministry of Justice said the money was recovered from friends and family members of the former governor.
She lamented that many Nigerians were in the habit of siphoning money from the country to the UK, saying that has also affected the level of trust between the two countries.
Ibori in 2012 was sentenced by a UK Court to 13 years in prison for money laundering.
The High Commissioner, however, warned that the UK will no longer be used as a destination for looters to siphon proceeds of crimes.
Abubakar Malami, Nigeria’s Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation said the recovery of the stolen fund is part of the efforts of the current administration to fight corruption.
He said that the money will be used for the construction of the second Niger Bridge, Abuja-Kano road, and Lagos-Ibadan Express road.
Based on the agreement signed, the £4.2million is to be returned two weeks from now.
