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There are fresh insinuations as to why the recovered £4.2 million funds looted by the former Delta state governor, James Ibori, may not be returned to the state by the Federal Government.
On Tuesday, the UK had signed a Memorandum of Understanding to return the sum of £4.2 million of stolen assets by Ibori.
The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, had stated this in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
She said the money was recovered from friends and family members of the former governor.
But the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, had said the looted funds recovered from Ibori would be used to finance Federal Government projects.
Malami said the recovery of the stolen fund was part of the efforts of the current administration to fight corruption.
He had added that the money would be used for the construction of the second Niger Bridge, Abuja-Kano Road, and Lagos-Ibadan Express Road.
This has generated lots of reactions with the Delta State government and some Nigerians opposing the move.
Amid the controversy, some people have said it is better not to return the loot to Delta because the incumbent governor of the state, Ifeanyi Okowa, and Ibori are good friends.
They alleged that if the recovered funds are returned to the Delta State government, Okowa, who is the chief executive officer of the state, might likely return the money to Ibori if requested.
A post on Nairaland read, “This single picture says it all on why the returned looted funds seized from Ex-Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, did not make it to Delta. I remember that even a Judge declared Chief Ibori innocent.
“There is a high probability that the money will be returned to Chief Ibori. This is a lesson to other states. Stop electing those who come with serious liabilities.
“The current governor, HE Ifeanyi Okowa, is part of the scheme and administration of Chief Ibori.
“Ibori is still the governor by proxy, he’s still the kingmaker, this hot caller, and the most powerful man in Delta state, Okowo is his errand boy and he won’t hesitate to return that money to Ibori his master.”
Another person commented, “The way Ibori is adored in Delta, it is inevitable this will happen. Once the money gets to Delta, it becomes Ibori’s money and not Delta’s money. He might decide to share some with them.”
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