TheCable

A UK court has ruled that former Delta state governor, James Ibori, should be released from prison on Wednesday before his confiscation trial begins, his associates have informed TheCable.

Ibori was sentenced to 13-year imprisonment sentence in the UK on corruption charges in 2012.

He was due for release on Tuesday having agreed to be deported after serving half of the sentence, but the home secretary Amber Rudd maintained he would only be deport after handing over £18m of “proceeds of crime”.

The home office wanted the court to resolve if he could be released before going through the confiscation trial.

The confiscation trial is to determine if his assets should be seized after serving his jail term.

Prior to his conviction, Ibori was arrested in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, under Interpol arrest warrants issued from UK and enacted by the Metropolitan Police.

His journey to prison started after his kinsmen, under the auspices of Delta State Elders and Stateholders Forum, petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), accusing him of misappropriating resources of Delta.