Court orders return of £6.9 million stolen under Jonathan’s administration to Nigeria
A UK court has ruled that £6.9 million looted under former President Goodluck Jonathan be returned to Nigeria.
The funds looted by officials of the Jonathan-led government between 2009 and 2014 were said to be disguised as funds for arms and munitions purchases to combat Boko Haram.
“The court ruled the money, deposited in a Jersey bank account, was likely stolen by officials in the Nigerian government in 2014,” BBC reported on Tuesday.
“The transfer of money was disguised as government-sanctioned contracts for arms purchases during incursions by Boko Haram in Nigeria between 2009 and 2015,” it added.
This ruling followed an earlier forfeiture order from the Royal Court in Jersey by its attorney general in November.
The UK government is now negotiating how the funds will be returned to Nigeria.
Attorney General Mark Temple KC said the latest fund returned to Nigeria “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.”
The UK court ruling comes almost a decade after Mr Jonathan left office.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari, who took over from Mr Jonathan, initiated a probe into arms purchase funds. This development saw former National Security Adviser Dasuki Sambo in detention for nearly four years.
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