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.”
