FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
CLEEN Foundation Applauds $9.5m Repatriation from Jersey, Urges Rights-Based and Accountable Asset Management
CLEEN Foundation warmly commends the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Bailiwick of Jersey for the successful finalization of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to repatriate $9.5 million in forfeited assets. CLEEN particularly applaud the Federal Government, through the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, for its sustained diplomatic and legal engagement. This feat is a demonstration of capability in the tracing, monitoring, recovery and repatriation of illicit acquired wealth and an improvement in international cooperation between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Bailiwick of Jersey in asset recovery.
CLEEN Foundation commends this great effort and notes with satisfaction that this repatriation aligns with the Global Forum on Asset Recovery (GFAR) Principles, specifically on:
- Principle 4 (Transparency & Accountability): Ensuring the public is informed about the transfer and administration of assets and;
- Principle 10 (Inclusion of Non-Governmental Stakeholders): Recognising that civil society plays a critical role in monitoring the end-use of recovered funds.
Furthermore, this agreement reflects the spirit of the recently concluded 11th Session of the Conference of the States Parties (CoSP 11) to the UNCAC in Doha in December 2025. The “Doha Declaration 2025” emphasised that asset recovery should deliver “tangible economic and social justice” and highlighted the importance of independent oversight to prevent the re-misappropriation or re-looting of returned wealth.
CLEEN recommends that the funds be channelled exclusively toward the Development of Legacy Infrastructural Projects. This model has already proven successful with the $311.8 million repatriated from Jersey in 2020/2022, which funded; The Second Niger Bridge (Completed), the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway (Completed), the Abuja-Kano Road (uncompleted).
By dedicating these funds to the final stages of the Abuja-Kano Road and some other major federal roads in Nigeria, the government will be fulfilling the GFAR principle of using recovered assets to benefit the people harmed by corruption.
Our Call to Action
We urge the government to ensure the institutionalisation of the Civil Society monitoring framework used in previous tranches by;
- Consideration for an Independent CSO Monitoring Team: There is a need to consider an independent and credible civil society monitoring team to closely observe the quality of work done by the engineers constructing the roads. They should be given full access to project sites, monitor quality of work done, play oversight, produce technical and financial reports and ensure “value for money/cost effectiveness.”
- Maintain an Open, Regular & Transparent Communication with the Team & Public: Provide regular, open and transparent communication with the project team and the public towards meeting the goal and objectives of the project in line with the CoSP 11 emphasis on transparency;
- Prosecution of Persons Accused of Financial Crime: The Nigerian state in collaboration with countries where these illicit funds are recovered from should prosecute those involved in such crimes as provided by local, regional and international policy frameworks. Perpetrators should be brought to book to serve as a deterrent.
The successful return of these funds is commendable and victory for the Nigerian state and the Bailiwick of Jersey. CLEEN Foundation remains dedicated to ensuring that recovered assets are utilised for the development of the Nigeria and the betterment of its people.
God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Peter Maduoma
Executive Director