Jersey is returning over $9.5 million (£7 million) in funds deemed “tainted property” to the Nigerian government to support an infrastructure project.
The repayment follows a Jersey returns £7m in ‘tainted’ funds to Nigeria
Jersey is returning over $9.5 million (£7 million) in funds deemed “tainted property” to the Nigerian government to support an infrastructure project.
The repayment follows a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in December by Jersey’s Attorney General Mark Temple KC. This builds on previous agreements that saw more than $300 million (£230 million) repatriated to Nigeria.
In January 2024, the Royal Court of Jersey ruled that the funds were “more likely than not” proceeds from a corrupt scheme, in which third-party contractors diverted government money for the benefit of senior Nigerian officials and their associates.
Nigeria’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, said the funds would be used according to the MOU and hailed the recovery as proof that illicit assets cannot find safe havens abroad.
The money will help complete the final stages of a highway linking Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, with its second-largest city, Lagos—a key transport route.
Temple added that the repatriation demonstrates the strength of Jersey’s civil forfeiture laws, which he described as “a powerful tool in the fight against corruption.”signed in December by Jersey’s Attorney General Mark Temple KC. This builds on previous agreements that saw more than $300 million (£230 million) repatriated to Nigeria.
In January 2024, the Royal Court of Jersey ruled that the funds were “more likely than not” proceeds from a corrupt scheme, in which third-party contractors diverted government money for the benefit of senior Nigerian officials and their associates.
Nigeria’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, said the funds would be used according to the MOU and hailed the recovery as proof that illicit assets cannot find safe havens abroad.
The money will help complete the final stages of a highway linking Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, with its second-largest city, Lagos—a key transport route.
Temple added that the repatriation demonstrates the strength of Jersey’s civil forfeiture laws, which he described as “a powerful tool in the fight against corruption.”
