The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the permanent forfeiture of $49,700 recovered from a former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Sokoto State, Nura Ali.
Justice Emeka Nwite gave the order on Wednesday following a motion filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Counsel to the ICPC, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, told the court that the commission had complied with an earlier interim forfeiture order by publishing a public notice inviting anyone with interest in the funds to show cause why the money should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government. He noted that no claimant came forward within the stipulated time.
In his ruling, Justice Nwite said the commission’s application was meritorious and subsequently granted it. “I have listened to the submission of the learned counsel to the applicant and gone through the affidavit evidence. I am of the view that the application is meritorious. Consequently, the application is granted,” he ruled.
The ICPC had earlier obtained an interim forfeiture order on December 30, 2024, after filing a motion ex parte alongside the Department of State Services (DSS). The motion sought to temporarily forfeit the funds recovered during a search of Ali’s residence in Kano, pending investigation.
The court had also directed both agencies to deposit the money in an escrow account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and publish a notice for any interested parties to come forward.
In a supporting affidavit, Iliya Markus, a litigation officer with the ICPC, stated that the funds were suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity, noting that INEC does not pay staff in foreign currency. Markus added that Ali admitted in his statement to receiving $150,000 from former Sokoto governors Aminu Tambuwal and Aliyu Wamakko as a “gift.”
Since no one challenged the forfeiture, Justice Nwite has now ordered that the $49,700 be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
