The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the temporary forfeiture of $49,700 allegedly recovered from Dr. Nura Ali, former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Sokoto State during the 2023 general elections. The ruling came following an ex-parte motion filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Justice Emeka Nwite granted the application, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1846/2024, after Osuobeni Akponimisingha, counsel for the ICPC, presented the motion. The case was jointly filed by the ICPC and the Department of State Services (DSS) as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of bribery and unlawful activities.
The motion sought an order to temporarily forfeit the funds suspected to be proceeds of crime, directing the ICPC and DSS to conduct further investigations. Additionally, it called for the funds to be deposited in an escrow account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and for a public notice to invite anyone with an interest in the money to prove its legitimacy.
The application argued that the funds were not legitimate earnings of Dr. Ali as an INEC REC and claimed that INEC does not pay salaries or allowances in US dollars. The money was allegedly recovered during a search operation at Ali’s residence in Kano, conducted by DSS operatives.
The ICPC revealed that Dr. Ali had claimed the funds were part of $150,000 given to him by former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal and Senator Aliyu Wamakko. This claim was reportedly made in an extra-judicial statement to the DSS, with Ali also writing letters seeking the release of the funds.
The ICPC lawyer emphasized that Ali did not report the “gift” to any law enforcement agency, as required by law. The court was presented with supporting evidence, including search warrants and letters written by Ali.
In granting the motion, Justice Nwite declared the application meritorious and approved all prayers requested by the ICPC and DSS. The judge also ordered the publication of a notice in a national newspaper to allow interested parties to present their case for ownership of the funds.
The matter was adjourned to January 30, 2024, for a compliance report on the publication and March 31, 2024, for further hearing.
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