Jersey has agreed to repatriate more than $9.5m (£7m) to the government of Nigeria, closing another chapter in a long-running international effort to recover assets linked to the looted fortune of late military ruler Sani Abacha. The funds, described by Jersey authorities as proceeds of “tainted property,” were held in a bank account in the British Crown Dependency and have been the subject of protracted legal proceedings.

The recovery relates to monies that, according to a January 2024 judgment by Jersey’s Royal Court, were “more likely than not” diverted from public coffers by third‑party contractors for the benefit of senior Nigerian officials and their associates during Abacha’s rule from 1993 to 1998. Although initial seizures of the assets were made under the administration of former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, legal challenges both in Jersey and abroad delayed their transfer back to Nigeria.

Momentum toward repatriation accelerated in December when Jersey’s Attorney‑General, Mark Temple, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Nigerian authorities designed to streamline the return and delivery of recovered assets. The latest agreement builds on two earlier arrangements between Jersey and Nigeria that have already delivered more than $300m (£230m) in recovered Abacha-era assets to Nigeria.

Prince Lateef Fagbemi, Nigeria’s Attorney‑General and Minister of Justice, who holds the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said the returned funds would be disbursed strictly in accordance with the terms of the MoU. He framed the repatriation as a significant victory for Nigeria’s anti‑corruption campaign and evidence that illicit wealth cannot remain hidden in foreign jurisdictions.

“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,” Fagbemi said. He added that the $9.5m would be directed toward the final stages of a major highway project linking Abuja with Nigeria’s second‑largest city, a key transport artery intended to deliver public benefit from recovered state resources.

Mark Temple struck a similar tone on the Jersey side, saying the repatriation illustrated the strength of Jersey’s legal framework for tackling corruption. “The return demonstrates the strength of our civil forfeiture legislation as a powerful tool in tackling corruption,” he said, noting that the island has cooperated with international partners in complex asset recovery cases.

The repatriation marks another step in a broader, years‑long international effort to dismantle financial structures that enabled the Abacha regime to siphon billions from Nigeria’s public finances. While the sums returned to date represent a fraction of the estimated total looted wealth, successive recoveries from jurisdictions including Switzerland, the United States, and the Channel Islands have yielded both financial restitution and high‑profile legal precedents in cross‑border asset recovery.

Legal analysts say the Jersey ruling and the MoU underline growing judicial and administrative willingness among some offshore jurisdictions to prioritize transparency and restitution in cases of grand corruption. For Nigeria, each tranche of returned funds presents both political and practical challenges: ensuring transparent oversight of disbursed monies, delivering tangible public benefits, and using recovered resources to strengthen governance to prevent future large‑scale diversion of public funds.

As the $9.5m moves toward disbursement under the terms agreed with Jersey, both governments have signaled continued cooperation on outstanding asset recovery matters tied to the Abacha era, keeping alive the prospect of further repatriations as investigations and legal processes proceed.