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Nigeria drops big corruption case | Nigeria drops big corruption case |
(10 minutes later) | |
The former governor of Nigeria's oil-rich Delta State has been cleared of 170 charges of corruption - involving the laundering of millions of dollars. | |
The federal court in Asaba said there was no clear evidence against James Ibori, governor from 1999 to 2007. | |
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which brought the prosecution, described the judgement as hazy and pledged to appeal against it. | |
Nigeria is frequently cited as one of the world's most corrupt countries. | |
The BBC's Ahmed Idris in Abuja says the government has had to defend itself recently amid growing anger that it is slowing down its anti-corruption drive. | |
'Menace of corruption' | |
The EFCC promised to appeal to a higher court and said they would "leave no stone unturned" in their efforts to bring a prosecution against Mr Ibori. | |
"This kind of judgement, if not challenged, is capable of deepening the menace of corruption in our country," the commission said in a statement. | |
The EFCC initially brought charges against Mr Ibori in early December 2007. | |
In the same year a UK court froze assets allegedly belonging to Mr Ibori worth $35m (£21m). His annual salary was less than $25,000. | |
He had already left the UK when his assets were seized. | |
Former EFCC head Nuhu Ribadu was removed from his post just two weeks after the charges were brought against Mr Ibori. | |
Mr Ibori is a strong ally of President Umaru Yar'Adua, while Mr Ribadu was seen as close to his predecessor, Olusegun Obasanjo. | |
Under Nigeria's federal system, state governors enjoy wide powers. | |
Those running oil-rich states have budgets larger than those of several African countries. | |
They enjoy immunity from prosecution while in power. | |
Several have faced corruption charges since leaving office after the last election in 2007. | |
But just one former governor has so far been convicted - Edo State's former chief Lucky Igbinedion, who was fined $25,000 for embezzling $21m. |