James Ibori loses appeal over £101.5 million confiscation
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Bénin Web TV
The London Court of Appeal upheld the confiscation of £101,514,315.21 involving James Ibori, former governor of Nigeria’s Delta State. The ruling allows the 2023 order to be enforced, unless there is a further appeal to the UK Supreme Court, Reuters reports.
The London Court of Appeal rejected James Ibori’s appeal on Tuesday 3 November against a confiscation order for £101,514,315.21. The ruling confirms the updated amount of funds to be recovered, according to the judgment referenced [2026] EWCA Crim 1396.
James Ibori had sought a reduction of around £4.3 million, which would have brought the confiscation down to £97.2 million. The judges found that the adjustment linked to changes in the value of the currency should apply to the sums concerned, despite the freezing of some accounts. They rejected the argument that this update constituted an additional fine or double recovery.
The order issued in July 2023 can now be enforced, unless there is a further appeal to the UK Supreme Court. James Ibori told Reuters that he was consulting his lawyers before deciding on the next step in the proceedings.
The former governor, who led oil-rich Delta State from 1999 to 2007, pleaded guilty in 2012 to several offences, including money laundering. He was sentenced in the UK to 13 years in prison and released in 2016 after serving about half of his sentence.
