Profile
James Onanefe Ibori is a Nigerian politician who was Governor of Delta State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. He was born into the family of late Chief Ukavbe Ibori and Mrs Comfort Oji Ibori of Otefe in the Oghara clan, Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. He is an influential leader in the Niger Delta region and a national figure in Nigeria known for stealing public funds. James Ibori had committed a lot of financial crimes while serving as governor of Delta State.
On Tuesday, April 17th, 2012, after 5 years of running, James Ibori was sentenced to 13 years by Southwark Crown Court for his crimes. He was convicted of money laundering in the UK. He stole an estimated $165m (£117m) from Delta state. His houses, luxury cars and other properties were confiscated. The judge ruled that he was expected to spend half of the jail term. On December 21th, 2016, Ibori was released from prison to a house arrest pending all other issues in the United Kingdom.
Personal Life
James Ibori lived in England in the 1980s where he married his wife, Theresa. He returned back to Nigeria between 1994 and 1997 to serve as a consultant to the Federal Government of President Sani Abacha. The couple later separated in 2003. They have a daughter together named Erhiatake Ibori, who represents the Ethiope West constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly. James Ibori later re-married to Senami Sosu.
Education
| Qualification | School Attended | Date |
| Secondary Education | Baptist High School, Oghareki | |
| Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and Statistics | University of Benin |
Work History
| Name of company | Position | Year |
| Wickes DIY store | Cashier |
Oghara clan, Ethiope West Local Government Area
4 August 1959,
Delta State
People’s Democratic Party (PDP)
Christianity
Governor Delta State
Political History
James Ibori’s journey into politics began in 1990 when he joined the National Republican Convention (NRC). The following year, he was nominated to contest for the Federal House of Representatives seat, to represent Ethiope Federal Constituency. He lost the election to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate. When the Sani Abacha Transition Programme kicked off, he joined the Grassroots Democratic Movement (GDM). The transition programme was abruptly terminated with the death of Abacha. Ibori then with the leaders of other defunct political groups in Delta State, formed the Delta National Congress (DNC). The DNC later merged with many others to birth the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP). It was under the Peoples Democratic Party platform he contested and became the Governor of Delta State on January 9th, 1999. In 2003, he was re-elected as governor for another term and was succeeded by Emmanuel Uduaghan in 2007.
Leadership Style/Philosophy
Awards & Honours
Project
Criticism/Controversy
- James Ibori was convicted of money laundering in the UK in 2012. Prosecutors say he stole an estimated $165m (£117m) from Delta state.
- Using a false birth certificate and passport, he contested for the governor of Delta State and won.
- On 13 May 2010, Ibori was arrested in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates under Interpol arrest warrants, issued from United Kingdom courts and enacted by the Metropolitan Police.
- On 27 February 2012, accused of stealing US$250 million from the Nigerian public purse, Ibori pleaded guilty to ten counts of money laundering and conspiracy to defraud at Southwark Crown Court, London.
