MORE than $9.5 million of tainted funds held in a Jersey bank account is to be returned to the Nigerian government.
In 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.
Attorney General Mark Temple signed a Memorandum of Understanding last month to return the funds.
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.
Mr Temple 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.”
Nigeria’s Attorney General 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.”
