Nigerian ex-governor faces extradition from Dubai

London, 20 Oct-(ANA)-A court in Dubai has approved Britain's extradition request for powerful Nigerian politician James Ibori, who is wanted over allegations of corruption, British authorities said.

Ibori, a former governor of oil-producing Delta state in southern Nigeria who remains influential in his country, was arrested in Dubai in May at the request of Britain's Metropolitan Police.

He is also wanted by anti-corruption police in Nigeria.

"An appeal court in Dubai has approved the UK request for the extradition of James Ibori," said a spokesman for the interior ministry in London.

Ibori has the right to appeal the court's decision but the spokesman had no indication of whether he would do so. However, a separate judicial source in London said the British authorities understood Ibori had already lodged an appeal.

Ibori was governor of Delta, one of three major oil-producing states in the impoverished Niger Delta, from 1999 to 2007.

He continued to act as a power-broker in Nigeria's ruling People's Democratic Party after stepping down and has said that the accusations against him are political.

A British court froze $35 billion worth of his assets in August 2007 on suspicion that they were the proceeds of corruption. Several of Ibori's associates in Britain are facing money-laundering charges.

Nigeria's anti-corruption police, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), tried to arrest Ibori in April, before his trip to Dubai, to question him over allegations that he looted 44 billion naira ($294 million) from Delta state coffers.

But a violent crowd prevented police from arresting him in his hometown of Oghara and he later left the country for Dubai. (ANA)

FA/ANA/20 October 2010----------