A thanksgiving service in honour of former Delta State Governor, James Ibori, who recently returned to Nigeria after serving a jail term in London for money laundering, was held at the First Baptist Church in his hometown, Oghara, on Sunday.
Speaking at the grand event attended by politicians, traditional rulers, family, friends and associates, the 57-year-old declared: “Today I have decided to speak for myself, I am not a thief, I cannot be a thief.”
Ibori returned to Nigeria on Saturday, February 5 for the first time since fleeing the country in 2010.
The last seven years saw his arrest in Dubai and extradition to the United Kingdom where he was tried and jailed for money laundering.
He was released in December after spending six and half years in prison.
“Today is the day they say I should give testimony to God, for those that know me, you know that my entire life is a testimony itself and I have said it over and over again that my life is fashioned by God, directed by God, sealed, acknowledged, blessed by God and I believe that since the day I was born,” the University of Benin economics and statistics graduate said.
“Like the Archbishop said, when this whole commotion started, what was most painful to me was the pain and suffering that my people were going through.
“It has nothing to do with me as a person because for some reasons like I said to you, I drew my strength from God and somehow, I knew that God would stand by me, I knew that one day, and this day would come. I am indeed very please that I can now stand before you and look at your faces, faces that I have missed and those of you that have indeed suffered the pains of my absence. It has nothing to do with me.
“So, when I reflect, it gives me joy that all your prayers, God has answered, all your supports and solidarity with me all through this period; it is indeed not what I can begin to say. Like what our former chief of staff, Francis Agboroh said it is ‘unquestionable’.
“If I am to give testimony of my journey you will not leave here. The only testimony that I have is the fact that I am back and alive in your midst. And again I say that I never had any doubt in my mind that I would get back home.”
Immediate past Governor of Delta State and Ibori’s blood cousin, Emmanuel Uduaghan, was present at the thanksgiving.
Incumbent Governor Ifeanyi Okowa stayed away amid unverified media reports that he approved N350million for the thanksgiving.
