Liberia's former president Charles Taylor arrived in the Nigerian capital Abuja late yesterday to begin his life in exile, following his resignation from office earlier in the day.

Taylor, who on July 6 accepted an offer of asylum from Nigeria, arrived on board a Nigerian presidential plane hours after handing over power to his deputy, Moses Blah, at a ceremony in the Liberian capital Monrovia.

Accompanied by Mozambican President Joachim Chissano and his Ghanaian counterpart, John Kufuor, Taylor was met by Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and other senior government officials.

Chissano is current chairperson of the African Union, while Kufuor serves as chairman of the 15-nation west African regional bloc Ecowas.

South African President Thabo Mbeki, who had earlier attended Taylor's handover ceremony in Monrovia, was also expected to arrive in Abuja shortly, presidential spokesperson Oluremi Oyo said.

Also on the same flight with Taylor were Nigeria's former military leader Abdulsalami Abubakar - the chief negotiator in the Liberian crisis - and Mohammed Ibn Chambas, executive secretary of the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas).

Awaiting Taylor, 55, and his wife, Jewel, is a palatial mansion in Calabar, capital of Nigeria's southeastern Cross River State, chosen as the place where the former rebel warlord will spend his exile.

An advance party consisting of some of Taylor's relations and close aides arrived at the newly-renovated mansion on Sunday.

Nigeria has been involved in peacekeeping efforts in Liberia since 1990, when civil war broke out in the country.

Nigerian generals commanded the west African peacekeeping force in Liberia from 1990 to 1996, the year before the election, which completed Taylor's transformation from rebel leader to head of state. – Sapa-AFP.