By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
January 11, 2026
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Transparency International Nigeria (TI Nigeria) have commended the United Kingdom government for its role in tackling corruption and illicit financial flows, following the recovery of $9.5 million in stolen Nigerian assets.
In a statement signed by the Executive Director of CISLAC and Head of Transparency International Nigeria, Comrade Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, the organisations described the recovery as a strong demonstration of international cooperation in line with the provisions of Nigeria’s Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA), 2022.
They said POCA provides a comprehensive legal framework for tracing, freezing, confiscating, managing and recovering proceeds of crime within Nigeria and from foreign jurisdictions, stressing that the law remains the country’s principal tool for ensuring that criminals do not benefit from corruption and other financial crimes.
According to CISLAC and TI Nigeria, the latest recovery underscores the importance of mutual legal assistance and cross-border collaboration, which are core objectives of POCA and critical to strengthening Nigeria’s asset recovery architecture and deterring illicit financial flows.
While welcoming the return of the funds, the organisations expressed concern over the utilisation and management of recovered assets, noting that despite significant recoveries over the years, Nigerians still have limited access to information on how such funds are deployed.
They emphasised that Nigeria must go beyond asset recovery to address the systemic weaknesses that enable looting, warning that with estimated annual losses of about $18 billion, the country cannot rely on recovery efforts alone without strengthening financial institutions, transparency and enforcement mechanisms.
The organisations urged the federal government to fully implement the Proceeds of Crime Act, ensure independent oversight of recovered assets by the National Assembly, improve transparency through regular public disclosures, and guarantee that recovered funds are used in ways that deliver tangible benefits to Nigerians.
