Nigerian Gets N60m for Spending Extra 9 Months in Icelandic Prison

An unnamed Nigerian man has been awarded ISK19 million, the equivalence of N60 million, for spending longer time than necessary in jail after he was sentenced for money laundering in Iceland in 2015.

According to Ríkisútvarpið, a news outlet in Iceland, the Nigerian spent 11 months in prison for an investigation that led to a two-month prison sentence.

After being held for 269 additional days at a correctional facility, the Nigerian decided to claim damages from the Icelandic state upon his release. He also claimed compensation for the travel ban he was subjected to between the period his jail term was supposed to end and the time the court gave its final verdict.

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In 2015, the Nigerian, who was originally based in Italy, and three other Icelanders, were arrested and convicted over an online fraud that saw them swindle a South Korean fish importer of ISK54 million, an equivalence of N171 million.

After their trial in an Icelandic court, the three Icelanders were charged for money laundering by intent and sentenced to eight, 10, and 12 months imprisonment accordingly.

The Nigerian was sentenced to just two months for money laundering by negligence.

In the end, the Nigerian, who was supposed to spend the shortest period in jail spent by far the longest time behind bars. As a result, the court ordered that the state pay him the compensation.

FIJ