Former Governor of Delta state, James Ibori, who has six more months
to serve in a London prison, may possibly complete his sentence in
Nigeria.Ibori was in 2012, sentenced to thirteen years in jail by a London
Judge for stealing at least $250 million of public funds within the
period he served as governor of the wealthy Delta state.
During his sentencing in April 2012, Justice Nicholas Pitts had
considered the fact that since the prison calender is different from the
normal calender, Ibori was to spend half of the jail term which is six
and half years.Pitts had also deducted the 645 days Ibori spent in detention
facilities both in Dubai and UK- which resulted in the four and half
years jail sentence handed to him.
He is expected to be among the Nigerians in United Kingdom prisons,
whom would be repatriated to complete their jail term in Nigeria.The Nation reports that this disclosure was made by a senior official of the federal government.The development is as a result of a recently signed agreement between the federal government and the UK government.
The British government was also reported to have pledged to give
Nigeria one million pounds to aid in the comprehensive reformation of
Nigerian prisons to ease the stress of the inmates.Jeremy Wright, the United Kingdom Minister of Justice, reportedly
revealed this on Wednesday, when he led the UK team to visit the
Minister of Interior, Lt Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd).
The sole purpose of the meeting was to finalise the process of a mutual exchange of prisoners between Nigeria and the UK.During the meeting, Wright informed the minister there is need for
the state of prisons in Nigeria to be improved and be made humane and
more accommodating.
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