Jersey returns $9.5m looted funds to Nigeria for Abuja–Kano road

The Bailiwick of Jersey has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Government to repatriate more than $9.5 million in funds adjudged to be proceeds of corruption, boosting financing for a critical national infrastructure project.

His Majesty’s Attorney General for Jersey, Mark Temple KC, signed the MoU in December 2025, paving the way for the transfer of the forfeited funds to Nigeria for use on the Abuja–Kano Road project.

The development followed a successful civil forfeiture process initiated by Jersey authorities. On November 29, 2023, the Attorney General applied to the Royal Court of Jersey under the Forfeiture of Assets (Civil Proceedings) (Jersey) Law 2018 in respect of tainted funds held in a Jersey bank account.

The court, on January 12, 2024, granted a forfeiture order after finding that the monies were, on the balance of probabilities, proceeds of a corrupt scheme involving the diversion of government funds by third-party contractors for the benefit of senior Nigerian officials and their associates.

The latest MoU builds on earlier cooperation between both jurisdictions. Under two previous agreements, Jersey had repatriated more than $300 million to Nigeria to fund three major infrastructure projects, the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, the Second Niger Bridge, and the Abuja–Kano Road.

While the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway and the Second Niger Bridge have been completed, the newly returned funds will be applied to the final stages of the Abuja–Kano Road, a 375-kilometre highway linking the nation’s capital to its second-largest city.

Speaking on the development, Attorney General Mark Temple KC described the recovery as a testament to the effectiveness of Jersey’s legal framework in combating corruption.

“This successful return demonstrates the strength of our civil forfeiture legislation as a powerful tool in the fight against corruption,” he said. “I thank the Nigerian authorities for their cooperation and the Economic Crime and Confiscation Unit in my Department for their unwavering commitment to recovering the proceeds of crime.”

On Nigeria’s side, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), said the repatriation underscored the country’s resolve to work with international partners to deny safe haven to illicit wealth.

“The successful recovery and repatriation of the forfeited assets underscore the effectiveness of Nigeria’s collaborative efforts with its international partners in ensuring there is no safe haven for illicitly acquired wealth moved to foreign jurisdictions,” Fagbemi said.

He expressed appreciation to the Bailiwick of Jersey for its cooperation and assured that the funds would be used strictly in line with the MoU.

“I want to further assure the Bailiwick of Jersey that the repatriated assets will be judiciously utilised in accordance with the terms of the executed Memorandum of Understanding,” he added.