Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja, today Wednesday, October 29, ordered the permanent forfeiture of 49,700 dollars allegedly recovered from Dr Nura Ali, former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), for Sokoto State in the 2023 general elections.
The judge gave the order after Osuobeni Akponimisingha, counsel to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), moved a motion to that effect. Akponimisingha, while moving the application, told the court that the ICPC had complied with the earlier interim order made by the court for temporary forfeiture of the money.
The lawyer said a publication was made for interested person(s) to show cause why the recovered funds should not be forfeited permanently to the Federal Government as directed by the court.
He, however, said that no interested person had shown up since the day of the publication, and neither was any interested person represented in court today.
“We, therefore, seek an order forfeiting the sum of $49,700 US dollars to the Federal Government in view of the processes filed in respect of this matter from interim forfeiture to this stage, my lord,” he said.
Delivering the ruling, Justice Nwite held that the application by the lawyer was meritorious.
“I have listened to the submission of the learner 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 judge ruled.
Justice Nwite had, on Dec. 30, 2024, ordered the temporary forfeiture of the seized funds, after the lawyer moved the ex-parte motion.
While the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN) was the applicant, Ali was the sole respondent in the motion ex parte marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1846/2024.
The Federal government had told the court that the forfeited money is not the legitimate earning of Dr Ali as the independent National Electoral Commission’s Resident Electoral Commissioner and that it is suspected to be the proceeds of crime,” it said.
The Federal government argued that INEC does not pay its staff members with United States dollars as salaries or allowances.
