The 4.2 million pounds refund money was received by the Federal government from the UK government on May 28, 2021.
Delta State commissioner for information, Charles Aniagwu said “government is anxiously awaiting the “repatriated money,” saying the funds belong to the state, and so Federal government can not rob Peter to pay Paul”.
“As I speak with you we have map out a lot of projects to be done with the money, we are only hoping that Federal government release the money to us on time to do the needful,” Aniagwu said.
A landmark corruption case led to a deal in March signed by Nigeria and Britain on repatriating the money.
The deal stipulates that Nigeria will use the funds to finance vital infrastructure projects.
He fled to Dubai in 2010 but was extradited to Britain, where he was sentenced and served four years of a 13-year jail term. He was released in December 2016.
Scotland Yard said that during his two terms as governor, Ibori “systematically stole funds from the public purse, secreting them in bank accounts across the world.”
Anti-corruption campaigners hailed his sentence as a rare victory in the fight against international graft.
ionigeria.com Nigerian Newspaper (Online)
