James Onanefe Ibori, a former Governor of Delta State in Nigeria, was convicted of money laundering by the UK’s London court on July 21, 2023. As part of the verdict, he has been ordered to pay over USD 130 million, and his solicitor is also required to pay over USD 36 million.

Starting from 2005, Ibori had been under investigation by both Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and London’s Metropolitan Police. The joint investigation led to the discovery of properties owned secretly by him in the United Kingdom (UK), South Africa, and the United States, along with evidence of his extravagant lifestyle.

In 2010, Ibori fled Nigeria for Dubai, but he was eventually extradited from Dubai to the UK in 2011. In 2012, he pleaded guilty to 10 counts of fraud and money laundering, resulting in a 13-year jail sentence. After serving half of his sentence before and after conviction, he was released in December 2016 and returned to Nigeria in early 2017.