I’m not a Thief and can't be one! Ful transcript of what James Ibori said during his thanksgiving service (photos)

Former Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, yesterday reaffirmed his innocence of charges leveled against him in the U.K, where he recently served a jail term, saying, “I am not a thief.”

Chief Ibori gave the clarification at a thanksgiving service organised in honour of him by the monarch and people of Oghara kingdom at the First Baptist Church, Oghara. .

Speaking for the first time since his arrival after serving his jail term in London, Chief Ibori said: “Today, I have decided to speak for myself, I am not a thief, I cannot be a thief. .

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.

Like the Arch Bishop 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 pleased 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.
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When I looked how things were going, I discovered that they want to separate me from you people. They want me to go to the corner where I will not be seen. That is how I see it. .
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At a point, I called my elder brother (former Governor Uduaghan) that this is how I can get home, that this is what I am about to do now. It was a pragmatic decision. I am happy to be home with my people. There is nobody that can battle with the Lord."Convicted former governor of Delta state, 

 

The thanksgiving service was attended by the former ‎state governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi and others.  Ibori was jailed for stealing $250 million belonging to the state government when he served as governor.