Ibori loses as UK court upholds $136m confiscation order against ex-gov

A United Kingdom Court of Appeal has upheld a £101.5 million ($136.05 million) confiscation order against former Delta State Governor James Ibori, dismissing his bid to reduce the amount by about £4.3 million.

The ruling, delivered on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, means the confiscation process can now proceed after being delayed by the appeal, unless Ibori takes the case to the UK Supreme Court.

Ibori, who served as Delta State governor from 1999 to 2007, was convicted in 2012 after admitting to laundering millions of dollars in public funds through British banks and properties.

A lower London criminal court had, in 2023, ordered the confiscation of £101.5 million worth of his assets, describing it as one of the largest asset recovery orders ever made against an individual in the UK.

However, the former governor challenged the decision, asking the Court of Appeal to reduce the amount.

The appellate court rejected the application, affirming the original confiscation order.

Speaking after the ruling, Ibori told Reuters that he was consulting his lawyers on the next legal step, adding that the case had dragged on for years.

“It has been a very long time since my troubles started. Give me a break,” he said.

Ibori battles $129m confiscation order in London

Ibori was once one of Nigeria’s most influential politicians, particularly because of Delta State’s strategic importance as a major oil-producing state.

His prosecution followed a joint investigation by Nigerian and British anti-corruption agencies into allegations that he diverted public funds while serving as governor.

The former governor fled to Dubai before being extradited to the United Kingdom in 2011 to stand trial.

After pleading guilty to multiple money laundering charges in 2012, Ibori was sentenced to 13 years in prison. He served more than four years before being released in late 2016 and returned to Nigeria the following year.