James Ibori's wife, Theresa Nkoyo arrested at Heathrow Airport in London

Nov

2007

	By *Omoyele Sowore /Sahara Reporters* 02 November 2007

Pic: Theresa "Tessy" Nkoyo Ibori
Saharareporters, New York

The London Metropolitan Police yesterday arrested former Delta State First Lady, Theresa Nkoyo Nakanda
Ibori, on charges of money laundering. Married to former Governor James Ibori, the main target of an
extensive money laundering investigation by British law enforcement, Theresa Ibori was picked up at
Heathrow Airport in London.

A short statement released to Saharareporters by Andrew Newman of the Metropolitan Police press office
stated: “At approximately 20.50hrs on November 1 2007 officers from the Proceeds of Corruption Unit arrested
a 39-year-old woman at Heathrow airport in connection with an ongoing money laundering enquiry. She remains
in custody at a West London police station.”

Saharareporters learnt that Mrs. Ibori was due to fly on a Virgin Atlantic flight (VS651) scheduled to
depart for Lagos at 2230 hrs (GMT) on Nov. 1, 2007.

Known as “Tessy” to close friends and relatives, Mrs. Ibori, according to another source, was arrested as
she tried to escape from the UK to Nigeria. “Her husband had asked her to return to Nigeria where he
felt it would be easier to fight their impending prosecution on corruption charges,” said our source.

The former governor is caught in an extensive money laundering investigation that has led to the freezing
of his worldwide assets by a British Court of Appeal.

Officers of the Metropolitan Police accosted and arrested Theresa Ibori as she waited to board the
Virgin Atlantic flight. She was detained overnight at a West London police station.

Theresa Ibori, who has dual British and Nigeria citizenships, was being interrogated in connection
with her husband’s ongoing money laundering investigations. Several other women, including former
Governor Ibori’s sisters, one of his well-known mistresses, and a former aide, are also being targeted
in the investigation.

A source in London told Saharareporters that Mrs. Ibori was likely to granted bail today—depending on
her level of cooperation with investigators at the anti-fraud unit of the Metropolitan Police in London.

UPDATE...Tessy released from London Police custody

Theresa Nkoyo Ibori, wife of embattled former Governor of Delta State Chief James Onanefe Ibori has been released today by the Metropolitan Police after spending the night in a West London police cell regarding the on-going investigations of corruption and money laundering activities of James Ibori while serving as Governor of the oil rich state of Delta.
Sources at the Met Police told Saharareporters that the former first lady, who holds a British passport, was released after refusing to cooperate with the officers from the Proceeds of Corruption Unit of the Metropolitan Police of Nigeria.

She has been asked to make herself available when called upon as investigation continues on Ibori.
Metropolitan Police in London had yesterday arrested the former Delta State first lady, for money laundering at the Heathrow Airport in London according to a source from London

Tessy was arrested as she tried to escape from London to Nigeria, she was about to board a Lagos-bound Virgin Atlantic flight when she was accosted and arrested by the Metropolitan Police. Her arrest is in connection with the extensive investigations that have led to the freezing of James Ibori's worldwide assets by a London High Court. Prosecution of Ibori for money laundering activities intensifies in London.

A source at the Metropolitan police said her movements was not restricted because she is British citizen, however, she is expected to return to the Bail processing unit at the Met.

Your Comments

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salstep salstep is offline

# 1 | 02.11.2007 08:39

	http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7074573.stm Airport 'arrest' for Nigeria wife Mr Ibori's assets are said to include a jet and London property The wife of former Nigerian governor James Ibori is reportedly under arrest in London in connection with ongoing enquiries into money-laundering. The Metropolitan Police say a woman was arrested at Heathrow airport late on Thursday before a flight to Lagos. The former Delta State governor is accused of looting state funds. Mr Ibori's $35m assets outside Nigeria were frozen this year to allow British police time to investigate if they are the proceeds of crime. Simultaneous enquiries A Nigerian news website reports that the 39-year-old Theresa Nkoyo Nakanda Ibori was arrested while waiting to board a Virgin Atlantic flight for Lagos on Thursday evening. Nigeria anti-graft war teeters UK targets stolen loot The Met has confirmed to the BBC that officers from the Proceeds of Corruption Unit arrested a 39-year-old woman at Heathrow airport on 1 November in connection with "an ongoing money-laundering enquiry". The Met says the woman remains in custody at a west London police station. So far she has not been charged with any offence. Speechly Bircham - the London-based law firm that has been representing James Ibori before the British courts in his efforts to have his assets unfrozen - declined to comment. James Onafefe Ibori is one of several former Nigerian state governors who remain wanted for questioning in London on money-laundering charges. The Met's specialist Proceeds of Crime Unit is liaising with Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to find out whether his $35m assets - said to include a Bombardier private jet and property in London - were obtained illegally. The law permits police in Britain to apply for suspect monies to be frozen in the pre-trial stage of a criminal investigation. Enquiries are simultaneously continuing in Nigeria

Namio

# 2 | 02.11.2007 10:20

	If Rbadu tried that, lovers of due process would cry out murder. She needs another letter from our AG that she has not commited any crime in Nigeria. Poor Ribadu, MET is helping him with his job. They will rather be jailed in London where full meal full of fat as in luxurious bacon etc is served.

Robot

# 3 | 02.11.2007 12:20

	A short statement released to Saharareporters byAndrew Newman of the Metropolitan Police press of...Read the full article.

Dapxin Dapxin is offline

# 4 | 02.11.2007 12:49

	One question, are these incidents reported and given the proper news coverage in Nigeria at all ? Anyone wise to enlighten me :(

Sincere Brillow Sincere Brillow is offline

# 5 | 02.11.2007 13:12

	I can only continue to hail Sowore for making avalable to us what all the so called Nigerian Media will never publish.Those set of Journalisticthieves and propprietors whose conscience have been sealed to the plight of the common man especially when it comes to publishing newsstories of the evil activities of some of our leaders. You will agree with me that OMOYELE SOWORE deserves commendation an a National award for his role in exposing the I however find it amusing that while Ibori was there before he returnrd to Nigeria recently he was never arrested.He even had the guts to travel to New York to have words with UMORU so we learnt. Why his wife? Fine. His wife might be involved in the money laundering activity, there is nothing as good as hanging the main man himself. Why Ibori all the time,If he says he was never convicted why his his name being associated with the milking dry of the resources of Delta State. The Man must Surely be a rogue from his mother's womb. God help us.

udokaamah udokaamah is offline

# 6 | 02.11.2007 13:34

	The tactics of the British Police lately in relation to the Ibori matter, smacks on pandering to the media and sensationalism, and very little on hardcore detective work. The arrest of James Ibori's wife is an attempt at cheap publicity and image laundering by the British Police Mrs. Ibori has lived in London prior to and during the commencement of the investigation on James Ibori. She is a British citizen. At no instance was she named in the indictment against her husband or interrogated thereto. All this while, she was in their jurisdiction. I guess for some reason, they deemed it inexpedient to invite her for an interview. And they equally failed to advise her that she was a person of interest in the investigation. The best they could come up with is to arrest her in a heavily cherographed manner: cameras, plain clothes detective, drug-sniffing dogs and all. Theresa Ibori cannot be be adjudged guilty solely because of her marriage to James Ibori. That would be antithetical to the most cherished ethos of justice. I would rather the British Police arrest persons based on investigated facts and not to arrest persons and then embark on a fishing expedition for facts. If they are wrong, the damage may be impossible to undo. The balance of convenience is in their favor. This is the same shenanigan the Nigeria Police embark on on the doctrine of the Holding Charge, which doctrine has been roundly condemned by the Supreme Court. It is equally inexcusable from the British Police. It is very important for us to understand that the beauty of justice is procedure. The British Police cannot violate the very procedure established to ensure fair and unobtrusive delivery of justice and expect the end result to be equity. It is not right here, it is not right anywhere. The notoriety of James Ibori cannot diminish the violation of this woman inherent rights.

ojemba ojemba is offline

# 7 | 02.11.2007 13:44

	=Namio;2091816169>If Rbadu tried that, lovers of due process would cry out murder. She needs another letter from our AG that she has not commited any crime in Nigeria. Poor Ribadu, MET is helping him with his job. They will rather be jailed in London where full meal full of fat as in luxurious bacon etc is served. Dude she will either be arraigned in court or released withing 48 years as stipulated by the law. That's all they asked of Ribadu, not to turn himself into Obasanjo's houseboy drawing up list of who can contest election or not.

ikechiji ikechiji is offline

# 8 | 02.11.2007 14:23

	Well, she has been released. The British Police should not join EFCC in their yeye publicity-seeking policing. They should dot their i's and cross their t's before arresting someone. Source Ibori’s Wife Released After Arrest In London The British Police today released the wife of former Delta State governor, James Ibori, after she was arrested on at the Heathrow Airport on her while waiting to board a plane to Nigeria. “I can confirm that she is no longer in custody. She has been released. If you haave her personal number and called her she will pick up her” Sergeant Atkin of the Metropolitan Police told The Times of Nigeria over the phone. “We are not allowed to discuss the case any further with you because of privacy rules.” He added. Theresa Ibori, arrest is believed to be connected to her husband’s ongoing investigation by the British Police which froze his assets in the United Kingdom last month. The case is the subject of a going legal battle in British court. A British judge had last month ruled that Ibori’s assets be unfrozen due to the inability of the police to tender evidence that the assets were proceeds of criminal activities. The Police appealed that ruling and an Appeals Court reinstated the freeze and gave the police an extension to tender evidence against Ibori.

Mikky jaga Mikky jaga is offline

# 9 | 02.11.2007 14:31

	=dapxin;2091816231>One question, are these incidents reported and given the proper news coverage in Nigeria at all ? Anyone wise to enlighten me :( Yes! The independent Radio stations carry the news. Not sure of the government radio, though.

RAYNOSA RAYNOSA is offline

# 10 | 02.11.2007 15:16

	She has since been released.SOOKIBOY WILL SOON BRIEF THE PRESS on this issue watchout.:D:D

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