The Court of Appeal in London has dismissed an appeal by former Delta State Governor, James Ibori, seeking to reduce a £101.5 million confiscation order imposed following his conviction for fraud and money laundering.
The court rejected Ibori’s challenge on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, according to Reuters.
The former governor had asked the court to reduce the confiscation amount by approximately £4.3 million ($5.8 million).
The confiscation order was issued by Southwark Crown Court in July 2023, directing Ibori to pay the £101.5 million immediately or face an eight-year prison sentence in default.
The appeal had delayed enforcement of the order, but the latest ruling clears the way for the confiscation process to proceed unless Ibori takes the matter to the UK Supreme Court.
Speaking to Reuters after the judgment, Ibori said he was consulting his lawyers to determine his next course of action.
Expressing frustration over the prolonged legal proceedings, he reportedly said: “Give me a break.”
Ibori served as governor of Delta State from 1999 to 2007. He left Nigeria for Dubai before being extradited to the United Kingdom in 2011.
In 2012, he pleaded guilty to offences involving the laundering of tens of millions of dollars in public funds through British banks and properties. He was subsequently sentenced to 13 years in prison.
He was released in late 2016 after serving approximately half of his sentence, including time spent in custody before and after his trial, and returned to Nigeria in early 2017. Reuters+1
The confiscation proceedings followed investigations into his financial activities by Nigerian and British anti-corruption authorities.
In 2020, British prosecutors commenced proceedings to recover properties worth approximately £117 million linked to the former governor.
In July 2023, Southwark Crown Court Judge David Tomlinson ordered the confiscation of £101.5 million, representing the criminal benefit established by the court.
Ibori had challenged the ruling, arguing that prosecutors failed to establish that money was stolen from Delta State. He also accused the judge of disregarding evidence and arguments presented by his legal team.
His latest appeal, however, focused on the application of an inflation-related adjustment to money held in frozen bank accounts. The Court of Appeal ruled that the adjustment was lawful and dismissed his challenge, leaving the confiscation order intact. Bailii+1
Meanwhile, in 2021, the British government returned £4.2 million recovered from Ibori’s former wife and sister to Nigeria under a memorandum of understanding signed by both countries in March of that year.
SEO Title: UK Court Dismisses James Ibori’s Appeal Against £101.5m Confiscation
Meta Description: A London Court of Appeal has rejected former Delta Governor James Ibori’s bid to reduce his £101.5 million confiscation order over fraud and money laundering.
Editorial note: The appeal was specifically about the inflation adjustment applied to the confiscation calculation, not a fresh appeal against his 2012 conviction.
