The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the temporary forfeiture of $49,700 allegedly recovered from Dr. Nura Ali, the former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Sokoto State during the 2023 general elections.
Justice Emeka Nwite issued the order on Monday following an ex-parte motion filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The motion was presented by ICPC counsel, Osuobeni Akponimisingha.
According to the court documents, the motion ex-parte, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1846/2024, was filed on December 24 and dated December 20. The Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN) was listed as the applicant, with Dr. Ali as the sole respondent.
The case was jointly initiated by the ICPC and the Department of State Services (DSS). The application was signed by Mr. Usman Dauda, the Director of Legal for the DSS, while Akponimisingha, an Assistant Chief Legal Officer at the ICPC, contributed to drafting the legal filing.
Justice Nwite’s order allows for the temporary seizure of the funds, pending further investigations and legal proceedings. This decision is part of broader efforts to probe alleged irregularities related to the 2023 general elections.
While specific details on how the money was recovered remain undisclosed, the collaboration between the ICPC and DSS highlights the government’s commitment to addressing corruption and promoting accountability in public service.
The temporary forfeiture sets the stage for future legal deliberations, which will determine whether the funds will be permanently confiscated by the government or returned to Dr. Ali based on the findings of the investigation.
