UK Court Throws Out Delta Ex-Gov James Ibori’s Appeal On $136m Forfeited Assets
A London Court of Appeal has rejected a bid by former Delta State Governor, James Ibori, to reduce a £101.5 million ($136.05 million) assets confiscation order imposed on him following his conviction for money laundering.
Ibori had appealed the 2023 confiscation order, seeking a reduction of about £4.3 million.
However, the court dismissed his lawyers’ arguments on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
The confiscation order, described as one of the largest imposed on an individual in British legal history, followed Ibori’s conviction in 2012 for laundering tens of millions of dollars in stolen public funds through British banks and properties while serving as governor of Delta State between 1999 and 2007.
Following the latest ruling, the confiscation process can proceed unless Ibori decides to challenge the decision at the United Kingdom Supreme Court.
Speaking to Reuters, Ibori said he was consulting his lawyers to determine his next move, adding that his legal troubles had lasted for a long time.
Ibori was arrested in Dubai and extradited to Britain in 2011 following investigations by Nigerian and British anti-corruption authorities.Buy Maps
In 2012, he pleaded guilty to money laundering and was sentenced to 13 years in prison. He served about half of the sentence, taking into account his pre-trial detention, and was released in late 2016.
He returned to Nigeria in early 2017./REUTERS
