Post date: Feb 28, 2012 1:9:56 PM
LAGOS, NIGERIA (FEBRUARY 28, 2012) (REUTERS) -Nigerians in Lagos said justice has been done after the former governor of a Nigeria's oil rich state pleaded guilty for corruption in a British court on Monday( February 27).
Nigerians react to the plea of guilty on corruption charges in a London court by politician James Ibori, a once prominent power-broker in Nigeria's ruling party.
James Ibori pleaded guilty in a London court on Monday to laundering millions of dollars in a rare case of a Nigerian politician being held to account for the corruption that blights Africa's most populous nation.Ifeanyi Okechukwu, a lawyer at the Federal high court in Lagos said Ibori had long evaded justice in Nigeria but finally the law had caught up with him.
"At the end of the day, we believe that justice has been served and that it will serve as a deterrent to other people who tomorrow might want to engage in looting of public funds," he said.
Others like Blessing Nduka, also a lawyer at the high court in Lagos said the motive behind Ibori's plea of guilty was basically to try and get a shorter prison term for himself.
"You know the flamboyant shopping and letting everybody know they are shopping might reduce but corruption is terrible, you go abroad and see them closing shops, closing supermarket stores in the states, (United States) why, because a Nigerian politician wants to shop, it does not make sense," he said.
Ibori is a household name in Nigeria after two terms as governor of impoverished oil-producing Delta State from 1999 to 2007.
He is used to being addressed as "Your Excellency" and courted by crowds of people seeking his patronage.
Many people in Lagos like Anthony Nwko, an engineer said they wanted to see Ibori and many other politicians in prison for the crimes they have committed.
"I want him to go to prison so that people will learn, others will learn so that they will stop embezzling our money, enough is enough," said Anthony Nkwo.
Okezie Nwosu, a security expert in Lagos said he believed it was time all politicians in Nigeria and elsewhere redeem themselves and follow the example of Ibori by pleading guilty to corruption.
"Politicians in Nigeria and Africa as a whole, they are heartless, they can do anything humanly possible to get there, but I believe, since he has pleaded guilty, let the same spirit touch others, let them plead guilty because it is we masses that voted them there and when they get there, they don't remember us," he said.
Ibori pleaded guilty to 10 counts of money laundering, fraud and related offences but did not plead guilty to a further 13 similar charges.
Sentencing will take place in April and Ibori remains in custody. His assets will be confiscated.