The Executive Chairman of the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, Mr. Debo Adeniran, has appreciated the decision of a court sitting in the United Kingdom not to quash the conviction of a former governor of Delta state, Chief James Onanefe Ibori, in spite of the evidence presented which indicted a British police officer in case of bribery.
The media recently reported the decision of the UK to ensure that Ibori, a former governor of Delta State who is currently serving a 13-year jail term in a British prison after pleading guilty to 10 counts of fraud and money laundering serves out his jail term.
Speaking on behalf of CACOL, Adeniran said, “we remain one of the foremost civil society groups that have been in the fore-front fighting and demanding for the prosecution of James Ibori, and so we appreciate this decision,”
“Regardless of the revelation from this case, which indicts a British police officer, Ibori must be made to pay for his crimes. For as far back as 2009 ,we at CACOL had been protesting and advocating for the prosecution and conviction of the former governor only to be met with hindrances deliberately put in place to facilitate the former governor’s escape from justice in Nigeria”
Adeniran reiterated the Coalition’s stance on the extradition of James Ibori back to Nigeria to face justice for his several corruption crimes; he said “corrupt elements such as Ibori and others like him have to pay for their crimes to serve as deterrent to others like him. In the fight against corruption, there must be no sacred cows.
Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, recently boasted that he was the one who insisted that Ibori be jailed.
In concluding, Adeniran called on the Federal government to be more pro-active in its fight against corruption.
“All the anti-corruption agencies and other relevant agencies must also fulfill their constitutional duties, irrespective of whose ox is gored.
“Madam Patience for instance has publicly laid claim to the $15m frozen in four company accounts and dared the anti-graft agency to invite her for questioning.
“She was just a civil servant, so as a civil servant, how did she manage to acquire such properties and stupendous amount found in her accounts? Yet, she is walking free and has even gone ahead to sue EFCC!
“It is time for our anti-corruption agencies to walk their talk within the ambit of the rule of law,” CACOL added.
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