The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Transparency International Nigeria have commended the UK government for recovering $9.5 million in stolen Nigerian assets.
In a statement, CISLAC Executive Director, Mr Auwal Rafsanjani, described the recovery as “a strong demonstration of international cooperation against corruption”.
Rafsanjani said the action aligns with Nigeria’s Proceeds of Crime Act (PoCA) 2022, which supports cross-border collaboration in tracing and recovering illicit assets.
According to the organisations, PoCA provides a comprehensive framework for tracing, freezing, confiscating, managing and recovering proceeds of crime locally and internationally.
They noted that PoCA remains Nigeria’s principal instrument for ensuring criminals do not benefit from corruption, especially funds looted and hidden abroad.
CISLAC and TI Nigeria said the recovery underscores the importance of mutual legal assistance, calling such cooperation “critical to deterring illicit financial flows”.
While welcoming the funds’ return, the groups raised concerns about utilisation, noting “limited public information on how recovered assets are deployed”.
They said in spite of significant recoveries over the past decade, transparency in managing returned funds remains weak and inadequate.
The organisations urged government to fully implement PoCA and honour commitments under the Global Forum on Asset Recovery.
They also called for independent National Assembly oversight to ensure recovered assets are traced, tracked and measured transparently.
Rafsanjani warned that accountability suffers when recovered funds are merged into general expenditure “without clear reporting mechanisms”.
He urged stronger enforcement, improved transparency, and institutional reforms to ensure recovered assets deliver tangible benefits to Nigerians.
