The long arm of the law was finally long enough to nab former Nigerian Delta state Governor James Ibori. The investigation and trial in the UK lasted more than 7years before a conviction was secured. Well, technically he was said to have pleaded guilty for the charges to be dropped. One and the same you might say.
The UK conviction however exposes the current state of rot, incompetence and corruption within the Nigerian bench. Or, how else do you explain the clean bill given to Ibori, on same or similar charges by the Nigerian high court, for which he has now finally been convicted and awaiting sentence on the 16th of April? This initial wrongful acquittal is emblematic of the problems that leads to wrongful convictions in Nigeria, where justice is dispensed to the highest bidder, whilst indigent accused persons languish for years in detention centers. For a fuller report, read Andrew Walker’s report on BBC news herehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17184075
Wrongful Convictions Blog 