Authorities in the United Kingdom (UK) Crown Dependency of Jersey have agreed to repatriate more than $9.5 million (£7 million) in funds linked to corruption to Nigeria, to be used for public infrastructure projects.
The money, described by Jersey officials as the proceeds of “tainted property,” is believed to have been stolen during the rule of Nigeria’s former military leader, Gen Sani Abacha, who governed the country from 1993 until his death in 1998.
It was said that the funds were held in a bank account on the island and have been the subject of prolonged legal proceedings.
The decision follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in December between Jersey’s Attorney-General, Mark Temple, and the Nigerian government, paving the way for the assets to be returned after years of delay.
Although the funds were initially recovered during the administration of former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan, a series of legal challenges prevented their immediate repatriation.
Jersey’s Royal Court eventually cleared the way in a ruling delivered in January 2024, concluding that the money was “more likely than not” derived from corruption.
In its judgment, the court found that public funds had been diverted by third-party contractors for the benefit of senior Nigerian officials and their associates, meeting the legal threshold for civil forfeiture under Jersey law.
The BBC reported that the latest agreement builds on two previous arrangements between Jersey and Nigeria, under which more than $300 million (£230 million) in Abacha-linked assets were returned in earlier tranches.
Nigeria’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, welcomed the development, describing it as further proof of effective international cooperation in tackling cross-border corruption.
Fagbemi maintained the funds would be deployed strictly in line with the terms set out in the MoU.
According to him, the recovered money will be channelled into the final stages of a major highway project linking Abuja with Nigeria’s second-largest city, a route regarded by the government as a critical transport corridor for trade and mobility.
He said the recovery reinforced Nigeria’s position that looted public wealth should not find refuge in foreign jurisdictions, regardless of how long it takes to pursue restitution.
Temple said the repatriation underlined the robustness of Jersey’s legal system in addressing financial crime.
“The return demonstrates the strength of our civil forfeiture legislation as a powerful tool in the fight against corruption,” he said, adding that Jersey remained committed to working with international partners to prevent the island’s financial system from being misused.
The latest recovery adds to a long list of asset returns linked to the Abacha era, a period that continues to shape Nigeria’s anti-corruption agenda decades after the former ruler’s death.
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