Nigerian lawyers explain why Delta state can’t claim £4.2m looted by Ibori
- A senior lawyer, Yemi Candide-Johnson, has disagreed with Delta state government's plan to lay claim to the £4.2million looted by James Ibori
- Kunle Adegoke, another lawyer is of the opinion that the government should not be in possession of the returned looted funds
- The view of the lawyers counters that of other senior legal counsel who have argued that the money ought to be returned to Delta state
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Yemi Candide-Johnson, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) has revealed the reason why the £4.2million looted by ex-governor, James Ibori can't be claimed by Delta state.
Legit.ng recalls that the United Kingdom signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to return the sum of £4.2 million of stolen assets by Ibori.
The senior lawyer argued that the funds are owned by the UK government in accordance with its laws giving it the power to confiscate proceeds of crime from persons convicted via the British judicial system.
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The Nation reports that Candide-Johnson noted that though the British government decided o repatriate the money even when it didn't have to Nigeria could not breach the terms of that agreement without consequences.
Similarly, Kunle Adegoke, another SAN, believes that the southsouth was not entitled to the looted funds.
Falana reveals why it is illegal for FG to lay claim to Ibori loot
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that human rights lawyer, Femi Falana explained why the £4.2million looted by Ibori should be returned to Niger Delta state.
Falana in an interview said that the federal government cannot lay claim to the fund under any law.
The lawyer commended the federal government for pursuing the recovery of the looted funds. He, however, pointed out that the just thing to do is to return the money from where it was stolen.
Ibori loot: Delta state draws battle line with FG
In another report, the plan by federal government to use the public funds looted by Ibori, for the construction of the Second Niger Bridge, Abuja-Kano Road, and the Lagos-Ibadan road has been rejected.
The stern opposition came on Tuesday, March 9, from the state's commissioner for information, Ehiedu Aniagwu.
Aniagwu said the proposed use of the recovered loot (£4.2 million) by the government is much like an injustice to the government and people of Delta.
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Oluwatobi Bolashodun is a Legit.ng journalist with six years of working experience in the media industry. She graduated from Babcock University in 2012 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communication. Oluwatobi is a Current Affairs Editor, mostly writing on political, educational, and business topics. She uses her team spirit to encourage others to work hard.
Source: Legit.ng
