The Federal Government has started the process of extraditing former Delta State governor, James Ibori who has just been released from jail in the United Kingdom.
Ibori was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2012 after pleading guilty to money laundering and diversion of state funds.
He was however released on Wednesday following a court order that declined the UK government’s request for an extension of his sentence.
According to Punch, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami had directed the EFCC to make available Ibori’s 170 charges file.
A source said, “We have started the process of extradition in conjunction with the Office of the AGF. We had started extradition process years ago but stopped it since he was in prison.
“We have now reactivated the process. It is the AGF that will communicate with the British Government, which will then extradite Ibori to Nigeria. The court process will be sent to the UK Government for extradition.”
Spokesman for the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren in a text message said, “His (Ibori’s) fate will be determined by the provisions of the law.”
Ibori’s case was reopened in 2010 after a Federal High Court sitting in Asaba had discharged him of all 170 charges.
The former governor had resisted arrest and fled to Dubai but was later extradited to the UK.
The EFCC approached the Benin Division of the Appeal Court, where a three-man panel of justices on May 15, 2014, ruled that the ex-governor, who was serving a 13-year jail term in a London prison at the time, had a case to answer.
