The Bailiwick of Jersey has concluded arrangements to repatriate over 9.5 million dollars in recovered corruption proceeds to Nigeria, with the funds to be used for the completion of a major federal highway.
The agreement was sealed through a Memorandum of Understanding signed in December 2025 by Jersey’s Attorney General, Mark Temple KC, authorising the return of the assets to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The development was formally confirmed in Abuja on Friday, January 9, 2026, in a statement issued by the British High Commission and signed by Stephen Odekunle.
The funds were forfeited following a judgment delivered by the Royal Court of Jersey on January 12, 2024. The court ruled that the money, held in a Jersey bank account, was more likely than not the proceeds of corruption.
According to the judgment, third party contractors diverted public funds for the benefit of senior Nigerian officials and their associates. The forfeiture action was initiated under the Forfeiture of Assets Civil Proceedings Jersey Law 2018.
Temple described the recovery as evidence of the effectiveness of Jersey’s civil forfeiture framework and its cooperation with Nigerian authorities in tackling corruption.
“This successful return highlights the strength of our legislation as a tool in combating corruption. I commend the Nigerian authorities and the Economic Crime and Confiscation Unit for their commitment,” he said.
The agreement builds on earlier arrangements between Nigeria and Jersey, under which more than 300 million dollars had previously been repatriated for infrastructure projects including the Lagos Ibadan Expressway, the Second Niger Bridge and the Abuja Kano Road.
Under the latest MoU, the recovered funds will be applied to the final stages of the 375 kilometre Abuja Kano Road project.
Nigeria’s Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi SAN, welcomed the development, assuring that the funds would be judiciously utilised.
