The United Kingdom has returned £70 million recovered from a Nigerian, who was convicted of fraud by an Italian court.

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Paul Arkwright, said in Abuja: “There was an Italian court case with a particular person involved.

“A portion of the fund has been in the UK and that was the portion that was returned recently from the UK to Nigeria.’’

The envoy did not mention the identity of the Nigerian involved in the offence, but said more funds would be repatriated.

He stressed that his country was working with the Nigerian government to accelerate the legal process of returning the looted money.

“The British government has no intention of keeping one kobo of Nigerian funds in the UK. It all must come back to Nigeria.

“Just as in Nigeria, the UK feels that the judicial process is important, and we have to go through those processes before the money can be returned.”

Prime Minister Theresa May will arrive Africa today on a three-day trade mission to South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya.

Mrs May is expected to declare her desire for the UK to overtake the United States to become the G7’s leading investor in Africa by 2022, amid warnings of “greater conflict and an increased susceptibility to extremism” emerging if jobs are not created.