A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the permanent forfeiture of $49,700 recovered from a former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Sokoto State, Nura Ali, to the Federal Government.
Justice Emeka Nwite gave the ruling after granting an application filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), which had earlier obtained an interim forfeiture of the funds.
According to the ICPC, the money was recovered during a joint sting operation with the Department of State Services (DSS) at Ali’s residence in Kano, following intelligence that he was in possession of large foreign currency suspected to be proceeds of corruption.
The anti-graft agency stated that the funds were not part of any official INEC entitlement, noting that the Commission neither pays its officials in dollars nor issues allowances in foreign currency.
Investigators told the court that Ali failed to provide any credible explanation or documentation showing the source of the funds, raising suspicion of illicit enrichment and abuse of office.
In an affidavit filed before the court, the ICPC alleged that Ali received $150,000 from a former governor of Sokoto State, now a serving senator, under the guise of “logistical support,” without clear justification for the payment.
The Commission said it had published a public notice inviting anyone with claims to the seized funds to come forward, but no individual or organisation contested the forfeiture.
Delivering judgment, Justice Nwite held that the ICPC’s evidence was unchallenged and established that the money was likely proceeds of unlawful activities.
He therefore ordered that the $49,700 be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
The judge clarified that the forfeiture was not punitive but preventive, aimed at ensuring that proceeds of corruption are not retained or laundered by public officials.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1846/2024, stemmed from an interim order issued on December 30, 2024, which temporarily placed the funds under government custody pending investigation.
Sources within the ICPC told THEWILL that the recovery is part of a broader investigation into allegations of financial inducement and compromise of electoral officers during the 2023 general elections.
The ICPC, in a statement after the ruling, reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring accountability in public service, stressing that “no individual, regardless of status, will be allowed to profit from corruption.
