- Court orders permanent forfeiture of $49,700 seized from ex-INEC official.
- ICPC says the cash was proceeds of unlawful activity.
- No one claimed ownership, so the money now belongs to the government.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the permanent forfeiture of $49,700 recovered from the former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Sokoto State, Nura Ali, during the 2023 general elections.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that Justice Emeka Nwite issued the ruling after considering a motion filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The anti-graft agency had sought the court’s approval to permanently forfeit the funds to the Federal Government, having earlier secured an interim forfeiture order.
ICPC’s counsel, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, informed the court that the commission had fully complied with the interim order, which included publishing a public notice inviting any interested party to show cause why the funds should not be forfeited permanently. He noted that since the notice was published, no individual or group had come forward to claim ownership or challenge the forfeiture process.
“I have listened to the submission of the learned counsel to the applicant and examined the affidavit evidence before the court. I am satisfied that the application has merit. Consequently, the application is granted,” Justice Nwite ruled.
It will be recalled that on December 30, 2024, Justice Nwite had granted a temporary forfeiture order after the ICPC and the Department of State Services (DSS) jointly filed an ex parte motion. The order allowed both agencies to seize the funds found at Ali’s residence in Kano, deposit them in an escrow account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and publish a notice for potential claimants.
In an affidavit filed by ICPC, the agency alleged that the recovered sum was suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity, adding that INEC does not pay its staff in foreign currency. A litigation officer with the commission, Iliya Markus, disclosed that DSS operatives recovered the cash during a joint operation authorized by a search warrant.
Markus further revealed that Ali, in his statement to investigators, admitted receiving $150,000 from former Sokoto governors Aminu Tambuwal and Aliyu Wamakko, describing it as a personal gift. He later wrote to the DSS requesting the release of the seized money, which had not been declared to any law enforcement agency as required by law.
With no opposition filed against the interim order, the court, on Wednesday, ordered the permanent forfeiture of the $49,700 to the Federal Government, effectively bringing the matter to a close.
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