A federal high court in Abuja has ordered the interim forfeiture of $49,700 allegedly recovered from Nura Ali, a former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Sokoto State during the 2023 general elections.
Justice Emeka Nwite, presiding over the case, issued the order on Monday after Osuobeni Akponimisingha, counsel to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), moved an ex-parte motion for the temporary forfeiture of the funds.
The motion, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1846/2024, was jointly filed by the ICPC and the Department of State Services (DSS) on December 24. It sought an order to temporarily forfeit the funds, alleging that the money was the proceeds of unlawful activities.
Allegations Against Nura Ali
According to the ICPC and DSS, the $49,700 was recovered during a search operation at Ali’s residence in Kano. The motion stated that the funds were allegedly bribe money received by Ali during his tenure as INEC REC in Sokoto State.
The motion noted:
- “The alleged movable property of $49,700.00 was bribe money received by Dr. Nura Ali when he was the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Resident Electoral Commissioner for Sokoto state.”
- “The alleged movable property is not the legitimate earning of Dr. Ali as INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner. The alleged movable property is suspected to be proceeds of crime.”
The application further argued that INEC does not pay salaries in US dollars, raising suspicions about the origin of the funds.
Court Orders
Justice Nwite granted the application and directed:
- The temporary forfeiture of $49,700.
- The deposit of the funds into an escrow account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
- The publication of a notice in a national newspaper, inviting interested parties to show cause why the funds should not be permanently forfeited to the federal government.
The judge also directed a preliminary investigation by the ICPC and DSS into Ali’s alleged unlawful activities, with a report to be submitted within 90 days.
Alleged Gift from Politicians
The ICPC claimed in an affidavit that Ali had disclosed in an extra-judicial statement to the DSS that the funds were part of a $150,000 gift from Aminu Tambuwal, a former governor of Sokoto State, and Aliyu Wamakko, a serving senator. However, Ali allegedly failed to report the gift as required by law.
Ali is also reported to have written to the DSS seeking the return of the funds, which he maintained were legitimate.
The court adjourned the matter until January 30, 2025, for a compliance report on the publication in the media and until March 31, 2025, for further hearing.
