In a significant legal development, Jersey’s Royal Court has ruled in favor of returning stolen assets valued at £6.9 million ($8.9 million) to Nigeria. The decision follows a forfeiture notice issued by Jersey’s Attorney General in November, alleging that the funds, deposited in a Jersey bank account, were likely misappropriated by Nigerian government officials in 2014.
The illicit transfer of funds was allegedly disguised as government-sanctioned contracts for arms purchases during the Boko Haram incursions in Nigeria between 2009 and 2015.
President Goodluck Jonathan, affiliated with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), held office from 2010 to 2015. The controversy surrounding the purchase of weapons during the insurgency implicated the then National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, who was accused of diverting funds meant for security equipment.
In late 2014, a private jet owned by the then President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, was apprehended in South Africa with $10 million in cash intended for the purchase of military weapons.
The Jersey court found that a significant portion of the funds, initially designated for legitimate arms deals, had been diverted through foreign bank accounts and shell companies linked to the former ruling party in Nigeria.
Jersey’s Attorney General, Mark Temple KC, highlighted the collaboration between Jersey and the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the recovery process. He emphasized the effectiveness of the 2018 Forfeiture Law in combating corruption and restoring funds to victims of crime.
Plans are underway to negotiate an asset return agreement with the Nigerian government, with Temple stating, “This case again demonstrates the effectiveness of the 2018 Forfeiture Law in recovering the proceeds of corruption and restoring that money to victims of crime. I now intend to negotiate an asset return agreement with the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
