Prosper Okoye
More than $9.5m recovered from corruption-linked funds in the UK will be used to complete sections of the Abuja–Kano Road, Nigerian and Jersey authorities have said.
The money, held in a bank account in Jersey, was forfeited after a court ruled that it was more likely than not the proceeds of corruption involving the diversion of Nigerian public funds.
Jersey’s Attorney General, Mark Temple KC, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Nigerian government in December to enable the return of the funds.
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Court documents said the money was linked to a scheme in which third-party contractors diverted government funds for the benefit of senior Nigerian officials and their associates.
The forfeiture followed an application filed in November 2023 under Jersey’s civil asset recovery laws. A final court order approving the seizure was granted in January 2024.
The agreement builds on earlier cooperation between Jersey and Nigeria, which has already led to the return of more than $300m.
Those funds were used to support major infrastructure projects, including the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, the Second Niger Bridge, and earlier phases of the Abuja–Kano Road.
Nigeria’s Attorney General, Lateef Fagbemi, said the latest recovery showed that illicit assets hidden abroad could be traced and returned, adding that the funds would be used strictly in line with the agreement.
Jersey authorities said the case demonstrated the effectiveness of civil forfeiture laws in tackling international corruption.
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