The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the interim forfeiture of over N1.1 billion allegedly diverted from the Kano State Federation Account domiciled with United Bank for Africa, UBA.
Justice Emeka Nwite made the order on Tuesday after counsel to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, Oluwafunke Bada, moved an ex parte application before the court.
The judge held that the application was meritorious and granted it.
He also ordered that the forfeiture order be published in a national daily to enable any interested person to appear before the court and show cause why the funds should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
The matter was adjourned until January 21, 2026, for a report of compliance.
The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2634/2025, listed the Federal Republic of Nigeria, FRN, and the sum of N1,109,230,000 domiciled in the ICPC Recovery Account.
The suit was dated December 3 and filed on December 8 by Z.S. Nass, an Assistant Director with the ICPC.
The anti-graft agency is seeking an interim order forfeiting the sum of N1,109,230,000 to the Federal Government, being money reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
In an affidavit in support of the motion, an Anti-Corruption Assistant with the ICPC, David Nelson, said the commission received a petition dated August 19, 2024, from concerned citizens of Kano State.
Nelson said the petition alleged that N2.3 billion was withdrawn in cash from the Kano State Federation Account domiciled with UBA and used for purposes unrelated to government business.
He said investigations revealed that on November 9, 2023, the Accountant-General of Kano State, Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, authorised the payment of N1.1 billion to two Bureau de Change, BDC, companies — Namu Na Kune Global Resources Ltd and Kazo Nazo Global Concept.
According to him, two letters of authority, purportedly issued for the supply of diesel, were submitted to the Kano State Government and signed by the Managing Directors of A.Y. Maikifi Oil & Gas Ltd and Ammas Petroleum Company Ltd.
He said the managing directors told the ICPC that the contracts mentioned in the letters did not exist and that no supply of diesel or alum was made to the state government.
Nelson further said investigations showed that the Kano State Government paid a total of N1.17 billion to the two companies, which was allegedly converted to $1 million and handed in cash to officials of the Kano State Government.
He added that the ICPC recovered N1,109,230,000 from the two companies in two instalments on February 27 and March 21.
Nelson said it was in the interest of justice to preserve the funds pending the final determination of the case.
