A Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday, ordered the temporary forfeiture of the sum of $49,700.00 allegedly recovered from Dr Nura Ali, a former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), for Sokoto State in the 2023 general elections.

Justice Emeka Nwite gave the order after Osuobeni Akponimisingha, counsel to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) moved an ex-parte motion to the effect.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN) was the applicant, Ali was the sole respondent in the motion exparte marked: FHC/ABJ/ CS/1846/2024.

The motion, dated December 20 and filed December 24, was jointly filed by the ICPC and the Department of State Service (DSS). The Director of Legal, Mr Usman Dauda, signed the application on DSS’ behalf, Akponimisingha, Assistant Chief Legal Officer in ICPC, was part of the legal team that drafted the process.

The motion sought an order of the court temporarily forfeiting the sum of $49,700.00, “recovered from one Dr. Nura Ali during a search operation by the Federal Government of Nigeria being property suspected to be proceed of an unlawful activity.”

It also sought an order directing the applicant i.e., the FRN, through the ICPC and the DSS to jointly conduct a thorough preliminary investigation into the alleged unlawful activities of Ali, in respect of the moveable property sought to be forfeited and make a report to the court within 90 days.

It sought an order directing the applicant i.e., FRN, through the ICPC and the DSS to deposit the $49,700.00 in an escrow account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN.

The application equally sought an order directing the applicant to publish a notice in any national newspaper calling for persons whether, human, juristic or artificial, having Interest in the money to show cause why it should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.