Authorities in Jersey, a British Crown Dependency in the Channel Islands, are set to repatriate more than $9.5 million (£7 million) to the Nigerian government for infrastructure development.
The funds will be returned under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in December between Jersey’s Attorney General, Mark Temple KC, and the Federal Government of Nigeria. The agreement builds on earlier arrangements between both parties that led to the recovery and return of over $300 million previously held in Jersey bank accounts.
Nigeria’s Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, said the recovered funds would be utilised in accordance with the terms of the MoU, adding that the money would support the completion of the final stages of the Abuja–Lagos highway project.
Fagbemi noted that the repatriation highlights the success of Nigeria’s collaboration with international partners in tackling corruption and preventing the use of foreign jurisdictions as safe havens for illicit assets.
Jersey’s Attorney General, Mark Temple, described the development as a demonstration of the effectiveness of the island’s civil forfeiture laws in combating corruption.
In 2024, Jersey’s Royal Court ruled that the funds were more likely than not proceeds of corruption, linked to a scheme in which government funds were diverted by third-party contractors for the benefit of senior Nigerian officials and their associates.
Although the money was recovered during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, its return to Nigeria was delayed due to prolonged legal processes.
