Court Orders Temporary Forfeiture of $49,700 from Ex-INEC Official

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) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for Sokoto State. The sum was reportedly seized in connection with investigations into the 2023 general elections.

Justice Emeka Nwite issued the ruling on Monday following an ex-parte motion presented by counsel for the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Osuobeni Akponimisingha. The motion, filed jointly by the ICPC and the Department of State Services (DSS), sought the court’s approval to temporarily take possession of the funds pending further investigations.

According to court documents, the motion was dated December 20 and officially filed on December 24 under case number FHC/ABJ/CS/1846/2024. The Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN) was named as the applicant, while Dr. Ali was the sole respondent.

The application was signed by Mr. Usman Dauda, Director of Legal for the DSS, and Akponimisingha, an Assistant Chief Legal Officer with the ICPC, was part of the legal team that prepared the motion. The forfeiture is part of ongoing efforts to probe allegations surrounding the funds and Dr. Ali’s role during the 2023 elections.