Court Orders Permanent Forfeiture Of $49,700 Recovered From Former INEC REC’

The Federal High Court located in Abuja has mandated the irreversible seizure of $49,700 that was retrieved from Nura Ali, who previously served as the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Sokoto State, amid the 2023 nationwide elections.

Justice Emeka Nwite delivered this directive on Wednesday, October 29, in response to a petition submitted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The ICPC’s representative, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, advised the court that the agency had adhered to a prior directive regarding the provisional seizure of the money and had disseminated a public announcement calling on any concerned individuals or groups to demonstrate reasons why the amount ought not to be definitively confiscated.

He pointed out that, following the announcement, neither any person nor any organization had stepped up to assert rights over the money or contest the seizure.

During his judgment, Justice Nwite indicated that he discerned validity in the petition, declaring:

“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.”

This decision in essence conveys the $49,700 over to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Previously, the judge, on December 30, 2024, had approved a preliminary directive for seizure after the ICPC and the Department of State Services (DSS) presented an ex parte motion requesting the short-term confiscation of the funds.

This motion came in the wake of the retrieval of the cash from Ali’s home in Kano as part of a DSS raid carried out in line with a properly secured search warrant.

Within its accompanying sworn statement, the ICPC asserted that the money was believed to stem from illicit conduct, emphasizing that INEC does not compensate its employees using foreign denominations. This sworn statement was provided under oath by Iliya Markus, an officer handling legal matters at the agency.

As per the sworn statement, Ali had confessed in a non-court statement that he obtained $150,000 from ex-governors of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal and Aliyu Wamakko, characterizing the sum as a “gift.”

Subsequently, he sent a letter to the DSS asking for the return of the confiscated money, though the investigators observed that he neglected to report the foreign cash in accordance with legal obligations.

In the aftermath of the preliminary directive, the court had instructed the ICPC and DSS to place the confiscated money into a holding account at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and to issue an advertisement soliciting assertions of ownership from possible rightful holders.

With no protests or assertions of ownership submitted, the court has at this point mandated the definitive seizure of the $49,700 by the Federal Government, thereby concluding the proceedings.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli