Jersey to Repatriate $9.5m Illicit Abacha Funds to Nigeria for Infrastructure Development
The government of Jersey has concluded arrangements to repatriate over $9.5 million (£7 million) in illicit funds to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The funds, identified as “tainted property” linked to corruption, are earmarked for the completion of a critical highway infrastructure project connecting Abuja to Kano, Nigeria’s second-largest commercial hub.
The agreement was formalized in December 2025 through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by Mark Temple, the Attorney-General of Jersey, and the Nigerian government.
This latest development builds on previous successful collaborations between the two jurisdictions, which have seen the return of over $300 million (£230 million) in recovered assets in recent years.
The repatriation follows a landmark ruling by the Royal Court in Jersey in January 2024. The court determined that the funds, held in a Jersey bank account, were “more likely than not” the proceeds of grand corruption.
According to the ruling, the court found evidence that third-party contractors had diverted public funds meant for development “for the benefit of senior Nigerian officials and their associates.” The seizure and subsequent return of these assets highlight the island’s robust civil forfeiture laws.
Mark Temple, Jersey’s Attorney-General, described the move as a testament to the effectiveness of the island’s legal framework in combating global financial crimes.
“The return demonstrates the strength of our civil forfeiture legislation as a powerful tool in the fight against corruption,” Temple stated.
Nigeria’s Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), confirmed the development, assuring that the recovered assets would be utilized strictly in accordance with the terms of the MoU.
Fagbemi noted that the funds would be deployed to finance the final stages of the ongoing Abuja-Kano road project, a vital economic corridor.
“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,” the Minister said.
This recovery is part of a broader trend of asset repatriation that has seen funds looted during previous administrations returned to Nigeria to fund major infrastructural deficits, including the Second Niger Bridge and the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
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