Lawal Daura, director-general of the Department of State Services (DSS),
on Saturday said he met with James Ibori, former governor of Delta state,
for “a short debriefing session and to also welcome him back to his
fatherland”
According to NAN, Daura said this in a chat with journalists in Abuja.
“He met me for a short debriefing session and way forward; also, to
welcome him back to his fatherland. We are also meeting soon to discuss
issues of interest affecting the nation,” Daura was quoted as saying.
Ibori returned to Nigeria on Saturday after serving a jail term in the
United Kingdom for corruption.
A UK court had convicted him of fraud in 2012 and handed him a 13-year
jail sentence.
He regained freedom in December, after serving four and a half years, and
agreeing to be deported from the UK.
When he was released, there was outrage at the public display of
solidarity by his friends and associates.
A similar scenario played out on Saturday, as there was wild jubilation in
Oghara, his hometown in Delta.
A mammoth crowd had earlier converged on the Osubi Airport, near Warri to
receive him, but some of them left after waiting for hours.
He later arrived at the Benin airport in neighboring Edo state, via a
chartered flight before leaving for Oghara.
He is expected to return to the UK to keep his February 17 date with the
Southwark Crown Court in the ongoing asset seizure hearing.
Born on August 4, 1959, Ibori was the governor of Delta from May 29, 1999
to May 29, 2007. He was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP).