The Bailiwick of Jersey has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Government of Nigeria to repatriate over $9.5 million traced to proceeds of corruption, with the recovered funds to be deployed for a major national infrastructure project.
His Majesty’s Attorney General for Jersey, Mark Temple KC, signed the MoU in December 2025, clearing the way for the return of the funds to Nigeria.
The development was confirmed in a statement issued by the British High Commission, signed by Stephen Odekunle, and formally announced in Abuja on Friday, January 9, 2026.
The funds were forfeited following a ruling by the Royal Court of Jersey on January 12, 2024, which found that the money held in a Jersey bank account was “more likely than not” derived from corrupt activities.
According to the court, the funds were linked to a scheme in which third-party contractors diverted public funds for the benefit of senior Nigerian officials and their associates.
The forfeiture application was filed under the Forfeiture of Assets (Civil Proceedings) (Jersey) Law 2018.
Commenting on the development, Temple described the recovery as a testament to the strength of Jersey’s anti-corruption framework and its cooperation with Nigerian authorities.
“This successful return demonstrates the effectiveness of our civil forfeiture legislation as a powerful tool in the fight against corruption,” he said.
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“I thank the Nigerian authorities for their cooperation and the Economic Crime and Confiscation Unit in my department for their unwavering commitment to recovering the proceeds of crime.”
The latest MoU builds on two previous repatriation agreements between Jersey and Nigeria, through which over $300 million was earlier returned to fund major infrastructure projects, including the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, the Second Niger Bridge, and the Abuja–Kano Road.
The Lagos–Ibadan Expressway and the Second Niger Bridge have since been completed.
Under the new agreement, the $9.5 million will be applied to the final stages of the Abuja–Kano Road, a 375-kilometre highway regarded as a critical transport corridor linking Nigeria’s capital with its second-largest city.
Nigeria’s Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), welcomed the repatriation, describing it as evidence of Nigeria’s resolve to track and recover illicit assets hidden abroad.
“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,” Fagbemi said.
He expressed appreciation to the authorities in Jersey for their cooperation during the recovery process and assured that the funds would be responsibly deployed.
“On behalf of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I thank the Bailiwick of Jersey for the cooperation accorded Nigeria during the recovery exercise.
“I further assure the Bailiwick of Jersey that the repatriated assets will be judiciously utilised in line with the terms of the executed Memorandum of Understanding,” he added.
