A British court was shown footage
on Wednesday of a palatial
property built in Nigeria for jailed
former governor James Ibori ,
complete with marble columns and
a private gym that offered a
glimpse into the lifestyle of
Nigeria’ s ruling class, Reuters
reports .
The opulent mansion staffed by
cooks , maids and chauffeurs was
just one of a portfolio of properties
across the world worth over $ 10
million in total that Ibori acquired
while he was governor of Delta
State from 1999 to 2007.
Footage of the property at Clement
Isong Street in Abuja, taken by the
Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission when it searched the
home this year , revealed a level of
luxury unimaginable to most of
Nigeria’ s 170 million people .
Reuters says majority of Nigerians
live in ramshackle housing with
little or no electricity or running
water .
The film showed a monumental
facade with white marble columns
two storeys high . Inside were vast
reception rooms adorned with
crystal chandeliers , gilded mirrors
and marble - topped tables .
The property also boasted a large
private gym with a treadmill, cross-
trainer and other fitness
equipment . A close- up shot inside
one of several marble bathrooms
showed a power shower with
electronic control panels .
Last year Ibori pleaded guilty at
London ’ s Southwark Crown Court
to 10 counts of money- laundering
and fraud in one of the biggest
embezzlement cases seen in
Britain . He is serving a 13 -year
term at Long Lartin maximum
security prison in England .
Shown as part of a confiscation
hearing in which prosecutors are
seeking court orders for Ibori’ s
assets to be seized , the film
featured a directory of telephone
extensions across the property
including the “ children’ s parlor”
and “ staff house.”
A list of staff and suppliers
included multiple chauffeurs ,
cooks and housekeepers as well as
details of how to reach the “TV
man .”
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