The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the permanent forfeiture of $49,700 allegedly recovered from Dr. Nura Ali, a former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Sokoto State, to the Federal Government.
Justice Emeka Nwite gave the order on Wednesday after counsel to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Osuobeni Akponimisingha, moved a motion for final forfeiture of the funds.
Akponimisingha informed the court that the ICPC had complied with its earlier order directing temporary forfeiture of the funds and had published a public notice inviting any interested party to show cause why the money should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
He noted that no objections or representations were received within the stipulated time.
“We therefore seek an order permanently forfeiting the sum of $49,700 to the Federal Government, in view of compliance with the interim order and the absence of any opposition,” the ICPC counsel submitted.
In his ruling, Justice Nwite held that the application was meritorious.
“I have listened to the submission of learned counsel for the applicant and carefully examined the supporting affidavit. I am satisfied that the application has merit. Consequently, it is hereby granted,” the judge ruled.
The court had earlier, on December 30, 2024, granted an interim forfeiture order following an ex parte motion jointly filed by the ICPC and the Department of State Services (DSS). The motion, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1846/2024, sought the temporary forfeiture of the recovered sum pending the conclusion of investigations.
According to court filings, the application—signed by Mr. Usman Dauda, Director of Legal Services for the DSS, and filed by Akponimisingha on behalf of the ICPC—stated that the money was discovered during a search at Dr. Ali’s residence in Kano.
In an affidavit deposed to by Iliya Markus, a litigation officer with the ICPC, intelligence reports indicated that Dr. Ali allegedly received bribes from political stakeholders while serving as INEC REC in Sokoto State.
Markus said $49,700 was recovered during the search, and that Dr. Ali claimed the money was a gift from former Sokoto State governor Aminu Tambuwal and Senator Aliyu Wamakko. He reportedly wrote to the DSS requesting the release of the seized funds.
The ICPC, however, argued that INEC does not pay its staff in US dollars and maintained that the recovered funds were proceeds of unlawful activity.
Following the interim order, the court had directed the publication of a notice in a national daily inviting anyone with an interest in the funds to show cause why they should not be forfeited.
After confirming compliance with that directive and noting the absence of any objections, the court granted the ICPC’s application for the final forfeiture of the money to the Federal Government.
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