TheNewsGuru.com can reveal that the former governor of Delta state, Chief James Ibori, who took all his supporters, and indeed all Nigerians, by surprise this morning when he flew in from London into Abuja, did so as a cautionary measure.
Aware that the high decibel celebrations, and unguarded statements, videos and pictures which his supporters put up in London, when he was released from prison, after serving his 13 years jail sentence for corruption and money laundering, did not go down well with some Nigerians, and being aware of various groups making plans to welcome him with pomp and pageantry, he opted to surprise them all.
Though he had informed TheNewsGuru.com London correspondent that it was a matter of days before he returned back to Nigeria, he kept the date to his chest. He had told TheNewsGuru.com that it could be in a matter of hours on Thursday. But no one suspected that he would sneak into Nigeria without letting any of his supporters be in the know.
Indeed, various groups had perfected plans to receive him in Lagos and Oghara. His political associates and friends, all jostling for Chief Ibori’s attention, had planned to swarm the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, with their supporters, purportedly to show their love to the arriving former Delta state governor.
To ensure a foolproof plan, Chief Ibori and his handlers, decided to arrive through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, instead of Lagos, and from there fly into Benin, from where he went by road to his hometown.
A dummy the Ibori strategists also sold to his supporters and friends was that, though his arrival date is not yet sure, an advance team, which was to be led by his sister, Christine, will be arriving Nigeria today. That proved to be another decoy that hit the bulls eye.
However, while Ibori flew in through Abuja, his sister, Christine Ibie Ibori came through Lagos.
When the news, broken by TheNewsGuru.com, filtered into Oghara earlier today, that their most prominent and favourite son had indeed arrived Nigeria, the whole town erupted in celebration. While the men and women poured white powder all over their head, face and body, the typical celebratory custom of the Urhobos, young men and women filled the streets in their thousands singing and dancing. They all headed for the Warri Benin expressway junction of their town to await the final arrival of their son.