Nigerian Governor Flees To Ghana?

Speculations were rife on Friday that the embattled former Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, has fled the country in the wake of the intensive manhunt for him by security agencies.

This came as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said it was not aware that the former governor has left the shores of the country apparently to escape arrest.

The anti-graft agency said it was still on the manhunt of the former governor within and outside the state.

SUNDAY PUNCH gathered on Friday that the ex-governor fled to a West African country in the early hours of Thursday.

Specifically, one of his close aides told SUNDAY PUNCH that Ibori had fled to Ghana .

The aide, who craved anonymity, stated that Ibori, who was spirited out of his Oghara country home, the headquarters of Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State when a joint team of police and EFCC invaded the community on Wednesday, reportedly stayed for a night in neighbouring Sapele community before arrangement was concluded for him to relocate outside the shores of the country.

It was gathered that Ibori and his associates took the action when it became apparent that the former governor no longer felt secured in any part of the country.

The Acting President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, had directed all arms of security agencies, especially the police and the State Security Service to collaborate with the EFCC to arrest the former governor.

The presidential order was sequel to the failure of Ibori to honour the invitation extended to him by EFCC to react to the petition written against him by the Delta State Leaders, Elders and Stakeholders Forum.

The DSLESF had alleged that Ibori utilised shares belonging to the state government to buy an American oil servicing company, Wilbros, which was later named Ascot Offshore Nigeria Limited by its new owners.

The former governor had on Tuesday, escaped arrest by the joint security team led by the Deputy Inspector General of Police, (Works), Mr. Udom Ekpoudom, with the aid of some armed youths, suspected to be militants.

SUNDAY PUNCH, however, gathered that Ibori and his associates must have weighed various options in the aftermath of Tuesday‘s invasion of his country home by the Ekpoudom-led team and concluded that the best option left for him was to flee the country.

It was gathered that he had initially opted to remain in Oghara on the strength of the assurances by his lawyer that the Federal High Court, Asaba, had ordered the EFCC to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the suit instituted against the commission by the former governor.

A source said Ibori and his lawyers were disturbed by Tuesday‘s attempt by the security operatives to arrest him despite a subsisting order barring the commission from arresting him.

SUNDAY PUNCH learnt that fears were palpable among the associates of the ex-governor that he might be arrested by the commission before Wednesday, April 28, when the court presided over by Justice I.N. Buba, would resume hearing on the legal dispute.

Findings also showed that Ibori‘s associates were worried that his arrest before April 28 would likely render the determination of the legal dispute as a fait accompli.

The source said, ”Let me be frank with you, our political leader and former Governor, Chief James Ibori, is no longer within the vicinity in Delta State. In fact, he (Ibori) has gone beyond the shores of the country.

”Chief Ibori is no longer in his country home at Oghara as people are being made to believe. He was aided out of the community by some armed youths shortly before the arrival of the police and EFCC‘s detectives on Tuesday and he stayed for a night in Sapele before he eventually relocated outside the country.

”I can tell you authoritatively that our leader is safe in Ghana and he is monitoring the situation in Nigeria from there. He is taking regular briefing from his lawyers and political associates from there. The case he instituted against EFCC can proceed in his absence and he would only return to Nigeria whenever it is safe to do so.

”The Chief (Ibori) cannot wait for the power that be in the Presidency in collaboration with some local tyrants to keep him in the cooler under the pretext of fighting corruption. Everybody is aware that he is being persecuted because of his political belief and activities and he heeded the advice of his associates that he should stay away until the judiciary does justice to the suit challenging the decision of the EFCC to arrest him,” the source, who pleaded that his name should not be mentioned in print added.

However, EFCC‘s spokesman, Mr. Femi Babafemi, told SUNDAY PUNCH that the anti-graft agency had not received the report that Ibori had left the country, adding that detectives were on his manhunt within and outside Delta State.

Babafemi added, ”We are not aware that he has escaped out of Nigeria. We are still searching for him and he is yet to report to us.”