The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the provisional confiscation of N1.1 billion allegedly linked to the Kano State Government.
Judge Emeka Nwite made the order on Tuesday after accepting an ex parte application by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC).
The court held that the request was “meritorious” and ordered that the funds be temporarily seized pending further proceedings.
He also ordered that the forfeiture order be published in a national newspaper, inviting any interested parties to appear and show reasons why the money should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
The case was adjourned to January 21, 2026, for a report on compliance with the publication order.
The funds, estimated at N1.109 million, were recovered during investigations into a petition alleging illegal withdrawals from the Kano State Federation Account domiciled at the United Bank for Africa.
According to court documents, the ICPC said the money was “reasonably suspected to be the proceeds of illegal activities.”
An affidavit filed by David Nelson stated that a petition by concerned residents of Kano alleged that N2.3 billion in cash was withdrawn and diverted for non-government purposes.
Investigators allegedly traced the authorization of payments to the Kano State Accountant-General, Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, which involved transfers to two currency exchange companies.
The ICPC further alleged that the transactions were disguised as payments for diesel supplies based on authorization letters from AY Maikifi Oil & Gas Ltd and Ammas Petroleum Company Ltd, but the managing directors of both companies told investigators that no such contracts or supplies existed.
The commission said it recovered the N1.1 billion in dues and urged the court to preserve the funds in the interest of justice, pending determination of the substantive forfeiture case.