[1] The Independent Nigeria is a successor to the Diet newspaper established in 1997 by James Ibori, a close friend of the military ruler General Sani Abacha.

Ibori, who had been elected governor of Delta State in April 1999, relaunched the paper in a more colorful and attractive format, but without success.

Owner James Ibori intervened, promising to pay the arrears and re-hire the workers, and the strike was called off.

In January 2010, James Akpadem, the new managing editor, said that Ibori was actively involved in efforts to restructure the paper, which was struggling with debt and unpaid salaries.

[9] On 16 April 2011, Ibori appeared in a British court to charged with a various money laundering and fraud offences.