By Charles Pemu 
Abuja, Nigeria — In a significant victory for anti-graft agencies, the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, ordered the permanent forfeiture of $49,700 in cash allegedly recovered from Dr. Nura Ali, the former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Sokoto State during the 2023 general elections.
Justice Emeka Nwite granted the final forfeiture order after the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) successfully argued that the funds were the proceeds of unlawful activity, specifically suspected bribe money.
ICPC counsel, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, informed the court that the commission had meticulously complied with the court’s earlier interim forfeiture directive, which required a public notification calling on any interested person to lay claim to the seized funds. The lawyer confirmed that, since the publication, no individual or entity had appeared to challenge the forfeiture or claim ownership of the money.
“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,” Akponimisingha stated.
Justice Nwite, after reviewing the affidavit evidence and hearing the submission, ruled that the application was highly meritorious, granting the permanent forfeiture of the money to the Federal Government.
The seized amount was recovered during a joint search operation conducted by operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) and the ICPC at the residence of Dr. Ali.
Court documents previously filed by the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the ICPC, and the DSS alleged that the funds constituted bribe money received by Ali during his tenure as the Sokoto INEC REC, stressing that the electoral body does not pay its officials in United States currency.
During the initial application for interim forfeiture, the ICPC had informed the court that Ali allegedly disclosed in an extrajudicial statement that a substantial sum, of which the forfeited amount was a part, was given to him by political stakeholders, including the former Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, and Senator Aliyu Wamakko. Despite the nature of these claims, no interested party came forward to challenge the permanent forfeiture, thus solidifying the state’s claim over the money.
The permanent forfeiture order is effective immediately, bringing a close to the legal battle over the seized cash and transferring the funds to the state coffers.