Convicted former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, has been transferred to a maximum- security prison, the Worcestershire Long Lartin Prison outside London.
According to an online publication, SaharaReporters, a UK prison officials in the United Kingdom confirmed the transfer to our correspondent, but said they could not tell what informed the move.
“Yes, Mr. Ibori is now serving his prison term in the Long Lartin prison in Worcestershire,” said an official of the UK prisons.
The maximum-security prison houses terrorists, rapists, drug barons and other violent criminals.
A recent report in The Guardian, a major UK newspaper, portrayed the prison as a rough, lawless facility where gangsters reign supreme.
In April this year, Mr. Ibori was sentenced to 13 years in prison for using UK financial institutions to launder hundreds of millions of pound sterling he stole from public funds in Delta State.
The looted funds enabled Mr. Ibori, his family and mistress to live lavish lifestyles that included purchase of private jets, luxurious cars and to own plush homes as well as apartments in some of the swankiest areas in London. Mr. Ibori is expected to serve at least seven years in the UK since he received credit for his detention in the United Arab Emirates as well as the UK prior to his trial.
The US Department of Justice recently restrained assets belonging to the former governor in Texas and Massachusetts. A US attorney told SaharaReporters that the action means that Mr. Ibori is in legal trouble in the US whenever he serves out his prison term in the UK.
One of Mr. Ibori’s lawyers, Bhadresh Gohil, his wife, Theresa Nkoyo, sister, Christine Ibori-Ibie, and mistress, Udoamaka Okoronkwo, were all sentenced to prison terms for aiding and abetting the former governor in his money laundering activities.