A Royal Court in Jersey, United States, has ruled that stolen assets totaling 8.9 million dollars will be repatriated to Nigeria. The funds were allegedly diverted by Nigerian government officials in 2014 under the pretext of purchasing arms to combat Boko Haram terrorists.
According to reports by The Punch, the court determined that the money, deposited in a Jersey bank account, was likely stolen by officials within the Nigerian government in 2014.
BBC also gathered the controversy surrounding the purchase of weapons for the fight against insurgency involved accusations against the then National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, who was alleged to have diverted funds intended for security equipment during Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
One of the incidents contributing to the investigation was the arrest of a private jet in South Africa in late 2014, carrying $10 million in cash, supposedly earmarked for the acquisition of military weapons.
The Royal Court’s order follows a forfeiture notice submitted to the court by Jersey’s Attorney General, Mark Temple KC. The court concluded that the funds, deposited in the Jersey bank account, were not utilized for the intended arms purchase.
“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,” he said.
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