ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – The Federal Government has praised the decision by Jersey, a self-governing British Crown Dependency, to repatriate more than $9.5m traced to proceeds of corruption back to Nigeria.
The Bailiwick of Jersey entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Government of Nigeria to facilitate the return of the funds, which are to be applied to a major infrastructure project.
The MoU was signed in December 2025 by His Majesty’s Attorney General for Jersey, Mark Temple KC, clearing the path for the funds’ repatriation, according to a statement released by the British High Commission through Stephen Odekunle.
Odekunle disclosed that the agreement was formally ratified in Abuja on Friday, January 9, 2026.
It was gathered that the forfeiture resulted from an application filed by the Jersey Attorney General on November 29, 2023, pursuant to the Forfeiture of Assets (Civil Proceedings) (Jersey) Law 2018, concerning funds lodged in a Jersey bank account.
The Royal Court subsequently issued a forfeiture order after determining that the money was most likely derived from a corrupt scheme involving third-party contractors who diverted public funds for the benefit of senior Nigerian officials and their associates.
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Under the new agreement, the $9.5m will be deployed to support the concluding phases of the Abuja–Kano Road, a 375-kilometre highway connecting Nigeria’s capital with Kano, the nation’s second-largest city.
Infrastructure projects funded under earlier agreements, including the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway and the Second Niger Bridge, have since been completed.
“On 29 November 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 property held in a Jersey bank account.
“On 12 January 2024, the Royal Court granted a forfeiture order after determining that the funds were more likely than not the proceeds of a corrupt scheme in which third-party contractors diverted government monies for the benefit of senior Nigerian officials and their associates.
“The MOU builds on two previous agreements between Jersey and Nigeria, under which more than $300 million has already been repatriated to support three major infrastructure projects: the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway; the Second Niger Bridge; and the Abuja-Kano Road.
“The first two projects are now complete. Under the terms of the MOU, the forfeited funds will contribute to the final stages of the Abuja-Kano Road a 375 km highway that will provide a vital link between Nigeria’s capital and its second-largest city,” the statement said.
The statement further quoted the Attorney General for Jersey as saying, “This successful return demonstrates the strength of our civil forfeiture legislation as a powerful tool in the fight against corruption. I thank the Nigerian authorities for their cooperation and the Economic Crime and Confiscation Unit in my Department for their unwavering commitment to recover the proceeds of crime.”
It also quoted the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, as saying: “The successful recovery and repatriation of the forfeited assets, underscores the effectiveness of Nigeria’s collaborative efforts with its international partners in ensuring that there is no safe haven for illicitly acquired wealth or assets moved to foreign jurisdictions.”
Fagbemi commended the Bailiwick of Jersey for its cooperation throughout the recovery process and assured that the repatriated funds would be utilised prudently and strictly in accordance with the provisions of the MoU.