COURT ORDERS PERMANENT FORFEITURE OF $49,700 RECOVERED FROM EX-INEC COMMISSIONER
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered the permanent forfeiture of $49,700 recovered from former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Sokoto State, Nura Ali, during the 2023 general elections.
The judge granted the order following an application filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Counsel to the ICPC, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, informed the court that the commission had complied with an earlier interim order directing the temporary forfeiture of the money and had issued a public notice inviting anyone with interest to come forward and show cause why the funds should not be permanently forfeited.
He added that since the publication, no individual or organisation had laid claim to the funds or appeared before the court to contest the forfeiture.
Delivering his ruling, Justice Nwite held that the application had merit, stating:
“I have listened to the submission of the learned counsel to the applicant and I have also gone through the affidavit evidence. I am of the view that the application is meritorious. Consequently, the application is granted.”
The court had earlier, on December 30, 2024, granted an interim forfeiture order after the ICPC and the Department of State Services (DSS) filed a motion ex parte seeking to preserve the funds pending investigation.
The motion also directed the agencies to deposit the money in an escrow account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and to publish a notice inviting interested parties to contest the forfeiture.
In a supporting affidavit, Iliya Markus, a litigation officer with the ICPC, stated that DSS operatives recovered the money from Ali’s residence in Kano during a search conducted pursuant to a valid warrant executed jointly by both agencies.
According to Markus, Ali, in his statement, admitted receiving $150,000 from former Sokoto governors Aminu Tambuwal and Aliyu Wamakko, claiming it was a personal gift.
The affidavit further noted that INEC does not pay staff in foreign currency, and the funds were not declared to any law enforcement agency as required by law.
Following the expiration of the publication period without any opposition, Justice Nwite has now ordered that the $49,700 be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
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