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‘I am a mad man if I do not contest this’ — Ibori reacts to £101.5m forfeiture order

‘I am a mad man if I do not contest this’ — Ibori reacts to £101.5m forfeiture order
James Onanefe Ibori, a former Governor of Delta State, has broken silence over the UK’s Southwark Crown Court’s ruling to forfeit £101.5 million or risk eight years in jail.
In a Facebook statement, the former governor said that after more than a decade of confiscating and investigating his assets, Judge David Tomlinson’s July 21 ruling demonstrated that he could no longer trust the court to treat him fairly or give him justice, and that he would appeal the ruling.
Ibori had previously spent a five-year jail term in the UK from 2012 to 2016, after pleading guilty to ten counts of fraud and money laundering charges. In 2020, the UK authorities reopened charges against him, tying him to illicitly obtained assets worth £117 million.
On Friday, Tomlinson, a Southwark Crown Court Judge, ruled that Ibori must pay £101.5 million right away or face an eight-year prison sentence.
Responding, Ibori wrote:
“Albert Einstein is quoted as saying that the ‘definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result’”.
“If that is true then I must be going mad because in over a decade since the British courts have been persecuting myself and those close to me, I kept believing that justice and fairness would eventually triumph.
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“In hearing after hearing through the years, despite some of the most logic defying rulings against me, I still believed. Despite clear evidence of police corruption against the main officer in my case (evidence so strong that it caused the lead prosecutor to resign from my case), I still believed. Despite a clear victory in my 2013 confiscation hearing which left the Judge unable to make an order against me, only to have him rule that the prosecution should start the trial afresh some years later – I still believed.
“However, today’s ruling from Judge Tomlinson is difficult to comprehend and even harder to accept. I have to move past the fact that the British courts found themselves competent to sit in judgment over contracts awarded in Delta State; contracts that were legitimately awarded and completed. I have come to accept my fate despite the inability of the British prosecutors to show any evidence whatsoever of monies defrauded or indeed missing from Delta State.
“Since 2005, the British prosecutors have investigated my assets worldwide; they have had a restraint order in place on most of those assets and they are well aware that the total monetary value of those assets is nowhere close to the sums that were the subject of today’s order.
“Notwithstanding the fact that many of the assets are not and have never been owned by me – it seems that if you are my friend and you allowed me to spend some holiday time in your house, then by this order I now own your home and must ask you to sell it to satisfy the Order.
“The Order made today was to be paid immediately, this was made in the full knowledge that it could take many months to actually realise the sale of many of these assets.
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“There is an eight-year default sentence, which means that if I do not co-operate and pay nothing at all, then the prosecution can apply for the imposition of the default sentence. However, as the prosecution already has a Restraint Order over the assets – the situation of my not co-operating or paying should not arise.
“However, an issue arises if my Restrained Assets are sold, and the total realised from the sale does not equal the amount in the Order, then the Prosecution can still apply for part of the default sentence to be applied, but they could only ask for a sliding scale reduction of the eight years default sentence based on the amounts that remain outstanding.
“If such an application were to be made it would be vigorously contested. In the normal course of events any talk of a default sentence would normally be stayed until any outstanding Appeal has been concluded.
“The Judge in this case has appeared to have cast aside any pretence of impartiality and has made an Order which is both wholly unrealistic and unrealisable. He has completely disregarded any arguments, evidence or expert witnesses in my favour. It was apparent during these last two days that he has forgotten many of the important elements of the case which is unsurprising as it almost 2 years since the case concluded.
“It has taken him two years to write this Judgment and in the interim he has presided over hundreds of cases, but I refuse to make excuses for him.
“At this point in time words fail me and so the question for me as I take my case to the Court of Appeal, is, if I continue to believe that I may finally get some Justice, is this the definition of madness? I know one thing for sure, that if I do not go to the Court of Appeal to contest this outrageous Order the people will definitely say that I am a madman!”
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How scavenger triggered explosion of military grenade in Lagos

How scavenger triggered explosion of military grenade in Lagos
The bomb explosion on Taiwo Street, Idi-Araba, in the Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos State was triggered by a scavenger.
The explosion claimed the life of the scavenger and left three others severely injured.
Findings by Chronicle NG revealed that the scavenger was attempting to dismantle military-grade grenades with the intention of collecting them as part of the scrap metal he was searching for.
The yet-to-be-identified scavenger was handling one of the grenades when it detonated, killing him instantly.
Three other victims, whose names and addresses are also unknown, sustained varying degrees of injury and were rushed to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.
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SP Benjamin Hundeyin, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed the incident.
He said, “At 13:30 hours on April 3, 2025, a distress call was received by the EOD unit based in Ikeja that there was a bomb explosion on Taiwo Street, Idi-Araba. Our team of EOD-CBRN operatives was swiftly mobilised to the scene.
“On arrival, the team ensured the area was safe, and after a thorough inspection, it was discovered that the explosion was caused by military-grade grenades that had been tampered with by a scavenger who was trying to split one of them. Sadly, the scavenger lost his life at the scene, while three others were injured and taken to a nearby hospital.”
Hundeyin also confirmed that the scene was secured and photographed and crucial evidence was collected for analysis.
“The deceased’s body has been moved to a public mortuary for autopsy, and an investigation has been initiated. Further developments will be communicated,” he added.
How scavenger triggered explosion of military grenade in Lagos
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Pro-Wike rally organisers insist on holding event despite court order

Pro-Wike rally organisers insist on holding event despite court order
A planned rally in support of President Bola Tinubu and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, scheduled for April 12 in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, is expected to proceed as planned despite a court order purportedly halting the gathering.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, George Turnah, factional South-South Zonal Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said the court ruling has been misinterpreted and does not stop their event.
According to Turnah, the gathering is being hosted by a group called New Associates and is meant to launch the Bayelsa State chapter of the group. He clarified it is also an opportunity to thank President Tinubu for appointing several Bayelsa natives into key government roles.
He stated: “Our rally, as we have said and made public, is for the purpose of inaugurating a group called and known as the New Associates, Bayelsa State Chapter, and then to thank and appreciate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing notable sons and daughters of Bayelsa State into positions of trust in the country. That is the purpose. It is not the purpose that this court’s order captures.”
Turnah argued that the court order did not mention banning rallies for the reasons they intend, saying: “We are going ahead. We are going ahead.”
“It’s just like saying ‘Don’t hold press conference in Cubana Hotel for the purpose of listening to George Turner.’ It doesn’t stop practitioners from holding press conference in Cubana for the purpose of listening to Jeremiah,” he explained.
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He emphasized that no plans had been made to invite Minister Wike to the rally.
“There was no time that we as a group, gave out a notice that we are going to host Minister Wike,” he said. “Wike, as of today, is not in our plans or programme to be in Bayelsa. We have not even extended invitations to Wike to come.”
However, he acknowledged Wike’s indirect role in helping Bayelsa citizens by recommending them for key positions. “While thanking Mr. President, we will also say thank you, Wike, for recommending and trusting that this class of persons can contribute to helping Mr. President deliver on his mandate,” Turnah added.
He dismissed claims that Wike’s rumoured visit was part of the rally, saying such talk is political. He also criticised the introduction of ethnic sentiments into the situation, warning it could harm national unity.
Turnah said they did not owe any explanations to Governor Douye Diri: “We don’t owe the governor and it’s a private group. We don’t owe him, we are not inviting him, so we don’t need to inform him.”
“The level of incitement against my person by Governor Diri can be likened to, in the words of Governor Fubara, ‘when a man cocks a gun, and maybe because the gun is in safety and the bullets didn’t come out, the man has already killed you.’”
Turnah added, “Let it be known by all the people of Bayelsa State, the Ijaw Nation, and Nigeria that on the 28th of March 2025, His Excellency, Sen. Douye Diri, Governor of my State, pulled a dangerous trigger against me but, to the glory of God, I am still alive today to tell the story.”
He said he remains committed to peaceful political engagement and credited former President Goodluck Jonathan for shaping his political life.
“My gratitude to him and his entire household, particularly my mother and his dear wife, Dame Dr Patience Jonathan, is for life,” he said. “I shall continue to be guided by the virtues of loyalty, humility, kindness, affection, dedication, commitment, trustworthiness, and self-discipline instilled in me by my mentor of all times, and father, President Jonathan.”
Pro-Wike rally organisers insist on holding event despite court order
metro
Autopsy reveals cause of Nigerian boxer death during fight in Ghana

Autopsy reveals cause of Nigerian boxer death during fight in Ghana
An autopsy conducted on late Nigerian boxer, Olanrewaju Segun, popularly known as ‘Success’, has confirmed that the 40-year-old athlete died from sudden cardiac arrest during his bout in Ghana.
Secretary-General of the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control (NBBofC) and President of the West African Boxing Union, Remi Aboderin, disclosed the findings, which came from preliminary post-mortem results.
“The preliminary post-mortem results indicate that Segun died from sudden cardiac arrest.But further investigation into his heart condition is required, and as a result, his body will not be released to Nigeria for burial until approximately two weeks,” Aboderin said.
The autopsy was carried out on Wednesday, April 2, following a court order initiated after the boxer’s sudden death during a professional match in Accra.
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Olanrewaju collapsed mid-fight last Saturday during his match against Ghana’s Jon Mbanugu at Fight Night 15, part of the Ghana Professional Boxing League. He was ahead on points in their eight-round light-heavyweight contest when the tragedy struck.
Medical personnel at the Bukom Boxing Arena responded immediately, entering the ring to remove his gum shield and attempt resuscitation. Despite being swiftly transported to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Until his passing, Olanrewaju had carved out a significant boxing career. A former National and West African light-heavyweight champion, he turned professional in 2019, racking up 24 fights—13 wins (12 by knockout), nine losses, and two draws.
Autopsy reveals cause of Nigerian boxer death during fight in Ghana
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