The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Chukwunyere Anamekwe Nwabuoku, the former acting Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), to 72 years in prison for his involvement in a ₦868.46 million fraud.
Justice James Omotosho convicted Nwabuoku on nine counts of money laundering, sentencing him to eight years per count, to run concurrently.
The sentence, which carries no option of a fine, relates to the diversion of ₦868.46 million from the Ministry of Defence between 2019 and 2021.
The case was filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which accused the former public officer of illegally moving public funds amounting to ₦868,465,000 through private channels.
The court heard that Nwabuoku, who once served as Director of Finance at the Ministry of Defence, admitted during proceedings that he authorised the transfer of funds from the ministry to four private companies. He told the court the transfers were made for “classified purposes”.
During the trial, it was revealed that the former Accountant-General made the admission in a statement to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) dated February 2, 2025. In that statement, he acknowledged supervising the movement of funds to the companies for undisclosed security-related operations.
The companies linked to the transactions are Temeeo Synergy Concept Limited, Turge Global Investment Limited, Laptev Bridge, and Arafura Transnational Afro Limited. Investigators told the court that these firms were used to channel the funds under suspicious circumstances.
Nwabuoku’s admission in court marked a sharp turnaround from his earlier position. At the beginning of the trial, he had denied any relationship with the companies. He also claimed he only became aware of them during court proceedings.
However, during cross-examination, prosecution counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, confronted him with his previous statement to the ICPC. Faced with the document, Nwabuoku admitted that he indeed facilitated the transactions.
The prosecution maintained that there was no evidence to justify the claim that the funds were used for legitimate security purposes. It told the court that no official records or approvals were presented to back the payments. The EFCC insisted that the transfers were part of a deliberate scheme to divert public funds.
According to the anti-graft agency, the money was moved through private companies under the cover of security expenditure. Investigators argued that the process lacked transparency and did not follow due government procedure.
In a related issue raised during the trial, Nwabuoku told the court that he acquired his residence legally. But under further questioning, he admitted that a cheque of ₦64 million issued by a company, Mdavi Limited, was used to pay City Gate Homes for the property.
The disclosure raised further questions about the origin of the funds and his financial dealings with private firms. The prosecution argued that the transaction suggested a pattern of questionable financial relationships.
Nwabuoku was initially arraigned on an amended nine-count charge bordering on money laundering. The charges were filed under the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.
However, with the conviction, the court affirmed the EFCC’s position that the funds were unlawfully diverted and laundered.
