Ibori spoils: Millionaire’s pad belonging to jailed former governor discovered in Lekki [DETAILS]

by Rachel Ogbu

A luxury home in Lekki Lagos was recently identified as belonging to shamed former Delta State governor, James Ibori.

Despite convicted in April 2012 and sentenced to a13-year jail term for corruption and money laundering, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC continues to find more evidence against the politician.

On Friday said it had located a mansion belonging to Ibori, in the chic Lagos area and is suspected to be one of the proceeds of money laundering for which the ex-governor was convicted in the UK.

In a statement by EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujiaren, that the property was discovered on Thursday at No. 5, Alpha Beach Road, Lekki in Lagos by its operatives.

“The attachment of the property is the fallout of continued efforts by the anti- graft agency to trace, find and seize properties that were acquired with stolen funds by the former governor.

“The property is a mansion with a mini reception at the ground floor and a detached ‘Boys Quarters’.

“Two occupants of the house, Moses Abu and Kaycee Kasim, were interrogated and made useful statements.”

According to pictures released by the commission, the house also has a swimming pool.

Items recovered from the house include sewing machines, mannequins and other personal effects.

They were all packed in cartons and sealed by EFCC operatives before being moved to its office in Lagos.

This is the latest property owned by Ibori which has located and attached.

The Punch reports:

In July 2012, the United States Department of Justice secured a restraining order against more than $3m looted funds and a mansion in Houston, Texas, U.S owned by Ibori.

The department got the powers through an application filed under seal on May 16, 2012, in a U.S District Court in the District of Columbia, to register and enforce two orders from United Kingdom courts against more than $3m in corruption proceeds related to Ibori.

This was announced by Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Morton in a statement on the U.SDOJ website.

“The application, which was filed under seal on May 16, 2012, in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia, seeks to restrain assets belonging to Governor Ibori and Bhadresh Gohil, Ibori’s former English solicitor, that are proceeds of corruption.

“Specifically, it seeks to restrain a mansion in Houston and two Merrill Lynch brokerage accounts. U.S District Judge Lamberth granted the application and issued a restraining order under seal on May 21, 2012.

“The department was notified today that its application to unseal the restraining order was granted.

“The United States is working with the United Kingdom’s Crown Prosecution Service and the Metropolitan Police Service to forfeit these corruption proceeds,” it said.

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