UK Moves To Return $9.5m Stolen Funds To Nigeria

The United Kingdom has concluded arrangements to facilitate the return of $9.5million tainted funds to the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a statement issued on Friday by the British High Commission in Abuja has said.

The statement noted that His Majesty’s Attorney General for Jersey, Mark Temple KC, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in December, 2025, to facilitate the return of the said amount to Nigeria, which will be used to provide additional resources for a critical infrastructure project.

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 property held in a Jersey bank account. On January 12, 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 Bailiwick of Jersey signed an MoU with Nigeria to return over $9 million in funds deemed to be the proceeds of corruption. These recovered funds will support critical infrastructure projects in Nigeria,” the statement said.

The MoU builds on two previous agreements between Jersey and Nigeria, under which more than $300million has already been repatriated to support three major infrastructure projects: the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway; the Second Niger Bridge; and the Abuja-Kano Expressway project. The first two projects are now completed. Under the terms of the MoU, the forfeited funds will contribute to the final stages of the Abuja-Kano Road—a 375km highway that will provide a vital link between Nigeria’s capital and its second-largest city.

Reacting to this development, Mark Temple KC, said: “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.”

In the same vein, Nigeria’s Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) said: “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.

“I want to, on behalf of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, thank the Bailiwick of Jersey for the cooperation accorded Nigeria during the Recovery exercise. I want to further assure the Bailiwick of Jersey, that the repatriated assets will be judiciously utilized in line with the terms of the executed Memorandum of Understanding.”