Tinubu has presented a motion to dismiss a subpoena filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, Chicago, in response to a fresh petition from the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.

On July 11, Abubakar filed a petition seeking more information on Tinubu’s academic history at Chicago State University.

The documents requested by Abubakar and his lawyer, Angela M. Liu, include Tinubu’s university admission record, attendance dates, degrees, awards, and other honours. Abubakar stated the goal of the subpoena was to “test the truth and veracity of Mr. Tinubu’s assertions.”

However, in response, Tinubu’s lawyer, Victor P. Henderson, on July 19, requested the court to reject the petition, arguing that no judge had heard and approved the subpoena from Atiku.

Henderson also criticized the timeline given for compliance only six days which he pointed out was shorter than the 14 days stipulated under Rules 219 and 137 of the Illinois Supreme Court Rules.

Furthermore, Henderson criticized Abubakar for engaging in an “improper fishing expedition about a foreign public official utilizing the Illinois court’s subpoena power.”

Naija News understands that the former Vice President is challenging Tinubu’s declaration as the winner of the 2023 presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).a

The Anambra State Government says it has handed over 19-year-old Mmesoma Ejikeme, who forged her Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination result, to a psychotherapist for a three-month guidance and counselling

The state Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, disclosed this at a press briefing in her office in Awka, on Thursday.

Chuma-Udeh said Mmesoma would undergo a therapy class for three months as recommended by the state panel, which probed the UTME forgery case.

Mmesoma, a student of Anglican Girls Secondary School, Nnewi, recently made the headlines after the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board called her out for fraudulently manipulating her UTME score from 249 to 362, thereby falsely parading herself as UTME top scorer for 2023.

Before admitting the forgery, Mmesoma had engaged JAMB in accusation and counter-accusation, with the exam body slamming a three-year ban on her.

On Wednesday, she appeared before a panel of the House of Representatives in Abuja, where she tendered an apology to the exam body and pleaded for leniency.

While briefing journalists on Thursday, the Anambra State Commissioner for Education recalled that a panel set up by the state to investigate the matter recommended that the teenager should be made to undergo a psychological counselling and therapy.

Chuma-Udeh said, “We considered what Mmesoma did as ‘juvenile delinquency’ to which any child could fall victim. So, we are not going to throw the baby away with the bath water. She is now under a psychotherapist counsellor who will take her on therapy for three months after which the state government will appeal to JAMB management on behalf of her to reconsider one or two things.”

The commissioner commended Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, for approving the psychotherapy class for Mmesoma.

Monarchs in Ondo State, under the auspices of De 130 Krown Obas, on Thursday, organised a prayer session for Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, who has been sick for some months and has gone abroad for treatment.

The group, which comprises some first-class and second-class Obas in the state, also condemned the way some people in the state were allegedly playing politics with the health of the governor, saying such must stop.

The chairman of the group and Molokun of Atijere in the Ilaje Local Government Area of the state, Oba Samuel Adeoye, while speaking at the end of the session held in Akure, said, “The purpose of today’s meeting is to organise a special prayer for our governor because we are all aware that our governor has health challenges.

“As traditional rulers, we believe that there is a need for us to organise this special prayer, we can jointly pray for our governor to have a quick recovery so that he can join us as soon as possible.

“Our governor is a good person and he had done so much for us. Since he came down with some health issues some months ago, we have not been happy. We feel it is necessary as kings to pray for him so that God would grant him quick peace.”

The Chairman, Board of Trustees of the association and Olupe of Ipe Akoko, Oba Francis, Apata, in his remarks, said, “Several bodies have been praying for his (Akeredolu’s) quick recovery, the council of the Obas in Ondo State has also prayed for his recovery, we believe as a constituted body, there is need for us to pray for his quick recovery and that is why we decided today to pray for his quick recovery.”

The PUNCH reported that Akeredolu had last month transmitted power to his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to stand in as acting governor, while he took a three-week medical leave.

He later wrote the state House of Assembly to ask for an extension of the sick leave.

Ekiti Assembly on Thursday confirmed all the 21 Commissioner-Nominees by Governor Biodun Oyebanji.

When Speaker Adeoye Aribasoye sought to confirm the nominees by voice vote one after the other, the legislators present at the plenary answered in the affirmative.

Aribasoye explained with the confirmation of their nomination, the nominees have become commissioners-designate.

He said the executives can proceed to swear them into office and hand them portfolios.

The commissioners-designate are Dr. Kofoworola Aderiye; Mr. Oyeniyi Adebayo; Mr. Seun Fakuade; Chief Folorunso Olabode; Mr. Gold Adesola; Dr. Kareem Akande and Prof. Patrick Tedela.

Others are Prof. Ojo Bakare; Mr. Kolawole Ajobiewe; Mr. Kayode Fasae; Mrs. Tayo Adeola; Prof. Bolaji Aluko; Mr. Ebenezer Boluwade and Otunba Dolamu Adeniyi

Others include: Karonwi Oladapo, Mrs. Olapeju Babafemi, Mr. Ojo Atibioke, Mrs. Tosin Aluko, Rt. Hon. Taiwo Olatunbosun, Mr. Adesola Adebayo and Mr. Oluwafemi Awe.

The motion that the Governor be empowered to appoint ten Special Advisers was moved by the Majority Leader, Hon. Tolu Ige (Ekiti Southwest 2) and seconded by Hon. Oluwayomi Ayorinde (Ido/Osi 2).

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has complied with a Supreme Court order to recognize the Youth Party (YP) as a registered political party in Nigeria.

The YP was deregistered among others by INEC in 2020 for “failing to meet the criteria provided for by section 225(a) of the 1999 constitution (as amended)”.

However, the party challenged the deregistration in court and the Supreme Court ruled in its favour in December 2022.

The Supreme Court’s ruling ordered INEC to reinstate the YP as a registered political party and to allow it to participate in future elections. INEC has now complied with the court order, making Nigeria’s political parties increase to 19.

The YP is a relatively new political party, having been founded in 2018.

The party’s objective includes to “encourage the Nigerian youth to be organized politically to determine the Nigeria of their future” and its participation in future elections could help increase the number of young people in elected office and to bring about more progressive policies.

Festus Okoye, INEC’s National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education Committee, announced YP’s reinstatement on Thursday after a meeting of the commission’s management in Abuja.

“Following the Commission’s decision to deregister some parties in accordance with Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the Youth Party approached the Federal High Court and secured an Order restraining the Commission from deregistering it.

“On appeal by the Commission, the Court of Appeal set aside the Order of the Federal High Court and on further appeal by the party, the Supreme Court set aside the deregistration of the party.

“Based on the judgement of the Supreme Court, the Commission interfaced with officials of the Youth Party on the modalities for its operation based on the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022 and the Regulations and Guidelines of the Commission.

“Consequently, the Commission has recognised the Youth Party (YP) as the 19th Political Party in Nigeria with all the rights and privileges accorded political parties in Nigeria,” said Okoye.

Mr. Yunana Barde, Chairman of Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, has called for calm over the outbreak of a yet to be confirmed disease in Kafanchan on Wednesday night.

Barde made the call on Thursday, while speaking with newsmen at the General Hospital in Kafanchan.

He urged the people not to panic as all hands were on deck to contain further spread of the disease.

The council boss commended the General Hospital for its prompt response in providing a temporary isolation centre for suspected cases of the disease.

Meanwhile, the Medical Director of the General Hospital, Dr Isaac Nathaniel, said that resuscitative measures were being carried out on 10 suspected victims on admission, adding that their samples had since been collected for investigation.

“Last night I was notified of the outbreak of what looks like a respiratory tract infection at Ward B community in Kafanchan.

“I quickly dispatched a team of medical and laboratory personnel who got in touch with three of the suspected cases.

“We counselled them to come to the hospital for proper evaluation and treatment, after seven more victims were brought in today.

“We are doing all we can, to stabilise them and give them treatment while we carry out investigation,’’ he added.

He said the victims were children between ages three and 13 who displayed symptoms ranging from sore throat, headache, fever, difficulty in swallowing and breathing amongst others.

According to him, the state epidemiologist and his team were on their way to Kafanchan from Kaduna to ascertain the epidemiologic basis of the outbreak and its spread.

On the alleged death of about 10 people from the ailment, Nathaniel said it was ‘hearsay’ as none of the purported dead bodies had been brought to the mortuary.

“We were notified of some deaths last night but none of the so-called dead bodies has been brought to us. So, it’s all hearsay for now,” he said.

He called on residents of Kafanchan to be on the look out, as measures are put in place to prevent further spread of the disease.

The outbreak has forced many primary and secondary schools in Kafanchan to shutdown pending the conclusion of medical investigation. (NAN)

Four persons have been arrested by the operatives of the Anambra State police command in connection with a lady who was killed and dumped in abandoned swimming pool of a hotel in Awka, the state capital.

The state commissioner for culture, tourism and entertainment, Hon Don Onyenji, has said the hotel had been sealed off by the state government pending the outcome of the police investigation of the incident.

The police public relations officer in the state, DSP, Ikenga Tochukwu told LEADERSHIP Friday yesterday that those now in the police custody over the matter wasa celebrant who was marking his birthday in the club located in the hotel where the lady, aged about 30 years.

One Miss Chinyere Awuda was killed and her body dumped in the hotel’s abandoned swimming pool.

The police spokesman however did not disclose the name of the celebrant and the three other suspects, he said the others were staff members of the club which name he gave as “The Same”.

Not a few persons were shocked as tongue wagged in Awka as the video of the floating body of the lady in a swimming pool became viral yesterday.

Sources said that Miss Chinyere who was a popular clubber in the capital city was beaten to death by friends of the birthday celebrant in the club on Saturday for allegedly stealing money being sprayed on the celebrant.

It was learnt that while the celebrant was being sprayed money, Chinyere was caught picking up the money and pocketing it, a development that was said to have infuriated some of the celebrant’s friends who after beating her to death, dumped her lifeless body in the abandoned swimming pool in the hotel in Awka.

The police image-maker said the other suspects were being trailed.

A fresh crisis is brewing in the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the choice of former Kano State governor, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, as the next national chairman of the party, with his zone, the South West, staging the first protest against the move.

National vice chairman (North-West) of the party, Mallam Salihu Lukman, has warned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and APC governors against the choice of Ganduje as replacement for the erstwhile national chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu.

According to him, the decision is suicidal and the height of insensitivity that may upset the zoning arrangement of the party.

With his zone championing the protest against the decision to make him the next national chairman, there are indications that the former Kano governor may be bracing for a bumpy ride, replete with stiff opposition, to the chairmanship seat of the governing party.

Lukman’s warning is coming 24 hours after reports emerged that President Tinubu and APC governors may have tipped Ganduje as the next national chairman of the party after the resignation of Adamu and the national secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore.

In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, the APC national vice chairman said, “So far, as things are, only the President and Governors blocs are active in the negotiation to produce and engage leaders of APC. Already, part of the speculations emerging from the Governor’s bloc is that Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is being considered to succeed Sen. Abdullahi Adamu. If this is true, it only suggests insensitivity and taking members of the party for granted. This is without prejudice to the person of Dr. Ganduje.

“This is because such a choice will completely distort the zoning arrangement that informed the present configuration of the leadership of the National Assembly. With the Speaker of the House of Representatives and Deputy Senate President coming from North West and North Central shut out of consideration, to propose the party’s National Chairman move to North West from North Central will be unjust.

“We must caution our governors that since the emergence of APC, governors have served almost as the conscience of the party. Any consideration for such an insensitive and unjust consideration of Dr. Ganduje to become the National Chairman of APC must be discarded. If anything, the position of National Chairman of the APC must be retained in North Central.

“Part of the challenge of managing the current transition within the party is getting the NWC to properly take the driving seat in managing and facilitating negotiations to produce and engage leaders of the party. The NWC must sit up and guide the unfolding negotiations. No single power bloc should be allowed to appropriate the process,” he said.

In the statement titled, “APC: Way Forward,”, Lukman asked President Tinubu to douse tension by speaking on the matter in order to return the APC to its founding vision of progressive politics.

He noted: “This is where the intervention of the President, being the leader of the party, would be required to moderate the excessive conduct of any power bloc, especially when such conduct risks further damaging the prospect of returning the APC to its founding vision.

“At these early stages of President Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s leadership of the party, he needs to make that strong intervention to guide the process of restoring constitutional order and returning the APC to its founding vision of progressive politics. Progressive politics must be about inclusion and justice and not some blind and insensitive considerations.

“Following the resignation of Sen. Abdullahi Adamu and Sen. Iyiola Omisore as National Chairman and National Secretary respectively, there is all manner of speculation as to which way forward. Of course, understandably, most of the speculations, if not all, are driven by interests to control the affairs of the party.

“It is, therefore, necessary that at this very early stage of negotiating new leadership for the APC, we caution all our leaders that the only way we can justify the exit of Sen. Abdullahi Adamu and Sen. Iyiola Omisore out of the leadership of the APC is by demonstrating a commitment to restore constitutional order in APC and return the party to its founding vision of being a progressive party. These are issues that would appear to be taken for granted and if not engaged could be abused by power blocs within the party, which could lead to the emergence of leaders that are worse than Sen. Adamu and Sen. Omisore. This must be avoided.”

Adamu, Omisore Served APC Well, Resigned Voluntarily – APC Governors

Meanwhile, governors on the platform of the APC have finally broken their silence on the exit of Senator Abdullahi Adamu as national chairman and Senator Iyiola Omisore as national secretary, saying they resigned voluntarily.

They also absolved the duo of any wrong doing during their tenure in office, noting instead that they served the party meritoriously.

Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF) and Imo State governor, Hope Uzodinma, gave the governors’ position while addressing journalists after meeting of the APC governors in Abuja on Wednesday night.

The meeting held behind closed doors at the Imo State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja, started at about 9.54 pm and ended at 11.12 pm.

Uzodinma debunked reports suggesting that there is crisis in the party, just as he said the APC governors were in support of Adamu and Omisore’s resignation.

He stated that both Adamu and Omisore served the governing party to the best of their abilities while APC enjoyed increased fortune under their administration.

He said, “I am aware some of you are anxious to know what is going on in our party and the country. We deliberated on so many issues that have to do with our party, the APC. You must have heard of the resignation of the National Chairman of our party and the National Secretary of the party. Those are voluntary actions that have been taken with due respect to our national chairman and our secretary.

“We commended the wisdom in what they have done and they served us well in the party, we are happy with the services and the party is united, there is no crisis in the party. They are happy; we also are happy. So, we are in support of their actions and they would continue to be commended, respected, and recognised for the services they have rendered to our great party.

“Their resignations have also been accepted by the leadership of the party. There is now an acting chairman and acting Secretary”.

Uzodinma further said the APC governors were conscientiously working with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to address the current hardship Nigerians are going through as a result of removal of fuel subsidy.

He apologised for the recent adjustment in the pump price of petrol from the previous N550 to N617, assuring that the current hardship occasioned by the skyrocketing cost of food, petroleum products and cost of living will soon be addressed.

He also refuted reports that the governors are silent on the plight of the citizens because the increase in the cost of fuel means more money to them through the Federation Account Allocation Committee.

He continued: “I decided to deal with the controversial social media posting of our upcoming FAAC. We are aware that the result of the removal of the fuel subsidy will increase the volume of money that would be received by us during the Federation Allocation Account meeting.

“We are working with the Federal government to ensure that the proceeds of that FAAC will be utilised in a manner that the citizens of the country are happy, the Labour happy and we also the practitioners happy. The economy of the country would be protected. So what has happened is something that we should be happy about.

“The current hardship occasioned by the price increase on both food, Petroleum products, and cost of living is being addressed. The sub-national government is working with the Federal Government and tomorrow (Thursday), there would be National Executive Council to discuss further that”.

The National Economic Council comprising 36 state governors and Vice President Kashim Shettima has concluded a plan for state governments to implement cash transfer programmes using state-generated social registers.

It said states-generated social registers would better reflect the number of vulnerable Nigerians to be reached with such cash transfer or palliative scheme.

This came on the heels of the plan by the government to roll out its intervention measures to cushion the effects of the hardships facing Nigerians, following the removal of the controversial fuel subsidy.

At its last meeting, the NEC had set up a sub-committee, which was tasked with coming up with plans to reduce the harsh economic conditions trailing the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of the exchange rates.

“It is states that are better positioned to do that enumeration to ensure the integrity of the social register,” the Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, told State House correspondents after the NEC meeting chaired by vice president at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja on Thursday.

Abiodun spoke alongside the governors of Anambra State, Prof. Charles Soludo; Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed; and Acting CBN Governor, Folashodun Shonubi.

He said states-generated register “is aimed at enhancing the integrity and reliability of the National Social Register and ensuring that resources go to the intended beneficiaries.”

However, the decision to adopt state-generated cash registers means the governors are dumping the existing National Social Register, which as of 2023, has captured over 61 million vulnerable Nigerians eligible for various government social programmes.

He explained, “We also proposed that each state begin to plan towards implementing a cash transfer programme based on their social register of the states.”

The NEC also proposed the implementation of a six-month cash award policy for all public servants.

The six-month cash award policy, Abiodun said would allow sub-national entities to pay their public servants a prescribed amount of cash monthly.

The implementation of the CAP would be based on the individual capacity and priority of various states, he said.

He said, “It was prescribed that it should be implemented for six months in the first instance. And you’ll be wondering why six months.

“The idea is that as much as we’re also particular about ameliorating the pains of our people immediately, a lot of sustainable measures are being put in place and it’s our hope that within now and the next six months, those sustainable measures would have begun to be visible. And then we can begin to taper down on these cash awards.

“These would be funds that will be placed in the hands of civil servants that will be tax exempt,” he explained.

Disclosing the feedback of the subcommittee from its last meeting to journalists, Abiodun said NEC explained the importance of the proposed Cash Award Policy for civil servants, payment of outstanding liabilities to civil servants, and providing Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises with single-digit interest rates to support business growth, amongst others.

Meanwhile, justifying the need for states-generated social registers, the Anambra Governor said the existing version compiled by the Buhari administration lacks the integrity to form the basis of the government’s intervention.

“There’s a big question mark about the integrity of the so-called National Social Register. We have questions about how those names in the register were brought about and I’m sure one question I hear asked is whether it is for the most vulnerable group.

“Now, in thinking through that, we felt that sitting in Abuja and calling on somebody in Anambra to compile a list and send it to you and then the person, depends on who he brings, and the registers are generated and people go to those villages and ask where those people are and they don’t show up,” Soludo said.

The former CBN governor, who called for stress testing as a means to generating a credible register said, “If you are delivering any such national or federal programme from Abuja, it needs to be delivered via the governments that are there using their format and mechanisms to generate the comprehensive register.

Subsidy removal: Anambra commissioner backs Tinubu, says policy good for Nigerians
“That meets certain criteria, that you can stress test and you can call out the people in the village and everyone will confirm that these are the vulnerable people if you are targeting vulnerable people, as it were.”

“So the integrity test is what is missing with that register. Many have just described what is being counted as National Register as bogus; some describe it as a phantom, some in all manner of terms,” Soludo added.

On the amount to be doled out under the cash transfer programme, the Anambra State governor said there would be no uniform figure as it would depend on the capacity of respective states.

He said state governments with outstanding salaries and allowances to pay must prioritise clearing the backlog instead of implementing cash transfers.

Soludo explained, “There is quite some fiscal surplus that will come to the states, local governments, and federal government.

“And we’ve suggested that it will be nice that you can implement cash transfers, subject to your financial capacity. Some might be able to do one; some might be able to do 10; some might be able to do 20, as the case may be. It depends on their capacity.

“There may be states that are not even able to do that now. For example, suppose you have a state where salary arrears of workers have been owed for three years or four years. In that case, the priority now is to start paying down some of the salary arrears or where pensioners have been owed their pension and gratuity for several years.”

He added that the NEC proposed negotiating a new minimum wage as part of medium and long-term strategies.

Soludo also debunked notions that the Federation Account Allocation Committee would share N1.96tn to the three tiers of government in July 2023, saying the amount accrues to N900bn.

He said, “Contrary to the widely reported news item that FAAC was going to destroy about N1.9tn or N2tn and so on trending, I think it is one of the ways to moderate the possible impact of the shock on the system to distribute I think barely just N900bn of that. And so it’s not the N2tn that people have been saying.”

On his part, the Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, said that the Federal Government would distribute 252,000 metric tons of grains to states at a subsidised rate. This is as the Council backed the planned distribution of grains, fertiliser starting July 24.

“In terms of the quantity of grains that will be distributed, I’ve just conferred with the Acting CBN governor. They have more than 252,000 metric tons of grains and almost an equivalent number of bags of fertilisers that will be distributed within the timeframe (of six months),” he said.

Mohammed explained that the National Emergency Management Agency made its package available to Nigerians.

Also speaking, the acting CBN governor, Folashodun Shonubi, said the Federal Inland Revenue Service briefed the council and announced that it had exceeded its half-year target and plans to generate N25tn in 2024.

Shonubi said, “The Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue was making a presentation on what they have done so far, the level of collections. It was nice to know they are ahead of their target for half-year. And we expect that before or by the time the year ends, they would exceed.

“They also gave us some idea of what next year should be like from them. And from this year, we hope to make some N10tn.

“It is planning that next year, we should be able to, working with all the agencies, provide N25tn as their contribution to the national coffers.”

The council also proposed an immediate implementation of energy transition plants, converting mass transit buses to Compressed Natural Gas with a long-term vision to establish electric automobile plants

It urged all tiers of government to be responsive to the people’s sufferings and address the rising cost of governance while balancing investment and consumption.

Former Delta State Governor, James Ibori’s attempt to relaunch his political career is at risk as a London court has threatened a fresh 10-year jail term over money he’s expected to pay up.

A state prosecutor on Thursday had requested a London court to order confiscation of $129 million from the Nigerian politician, according to Reuters.

Ibori who once straddled the Nigerian political space like a colossus is facing renewed threat of prison sentence following his conviction of fraud in the UK.

He was convicted and served sentence after being extradited to the UK in 2011 from Dubai, where he had been hiding after escaping the Nigerian anti-graft agencies.

He was charged with laundering a “corruptly acquired fortune” and pleaded guilty in 2012 to 10 counts of fraud and money laundering.

He was sentenced to 13 years in jail in a British rare case of convicting foreign politicians who looted their countries’ wealth.

Ibori’s case was particularly novel being that despite many years of accusation that Nigerian politicians loot their country’s wealth and stash them abroad, none had been convicted.

His case was hailed as an outlier.

But the question of what should actually be returned by Ibori, who was twice governor of oil-rich Delta, has been a constant focus in court despite serving his sentence.

But new evidence provided by Judge David Tomlinson of Southwark Crown Court appears to be bringing the case to a close.

On Thursday, after an argument about the computation of one of the biggest loot by a politician from Nigeria, the judge is expected to issue the final order on Friday or shortly afterward.

According to the lead prosecution counsel, Jonathan Kinnear, the total amount that should be confiscated from Ibori was £101.5 million.

He implored the judge to sentence Ibori to 10 years or not less than 5 years if he did not pay up.

Ibori who has been appearing at social functions and trying to redeem his battered image returned to Nigeria in 2017.

He has failed to attend all subsequent hearings. He was also absent at Thursday’s hearing.

The politician who has visited President Bola Tinubu twice and was part of the ex-governor Nyesom Wike’s team that hosted Tinubu before his inauguration as president has been left fuming at the fresh development.

The dissatisfied Ibori said he would appeal whatever judgement is issued via his Facebook page on Thursday.

“Finally, the shenanigans in the Southwark Crown Court are drawing to a close. Judge Tomlinson is due to make a confiscation order which should be both realisable and not punitive,” Ibori said on his Facebook page.

He added that, “However, after what transpired in court today my hopes are rapidly fading for any degree of fairness.

“In the 2 years it has taken to write this judgement it seems apparent that he has forgotten many of the salient points and is prioritising expediency over justice.

“The next step will be to take my fight for justice to the highest courts in the UK.”

THE WHISTLER reports that Ibori’s wife alongside his sister was also jailed in the UK on accusation of helping him launder public funds.

In 2021, his wife returned £4.2 million as part of the loot to the British government.