Court Jails Ex-Accountant-General Nwabuoku for 72 Years Over N868m Fraud

Court Jails Ex-Accountant-General Nwabuoku for 72 Years Over N868m Fraud

A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced former acting Accountant-General of the Federation, Anamekwe Nwabuoku, to a cumulative 72 years in prison over a money laundering case involving N868.4 million.

Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice James Omotosho ruled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) successfully proved its case against the former government official.

Nwabuoku was prosecuted on a nine-count amended charge bordering on fraud and money laundering.

The anti-graft agency accused him of working with several companies, including Temeeo Synergy Concept Limited, Turge Global Investment Limited, Laptev Bridge Limited, and Arafura Transnational Afro Limited, to channel funds believed to be proceeds of illegal activities.

According to the EFCC, the offences were committed during his tenure as Director of Finance and Accounts at the Ministry of Defence between 2019 and 2021. The charges were brought under provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, which prescribes penalties for financial crimes of such nature.

The court had earlier granted him bail in the sum of N500 million with two sureties, but proceedings continued after his no-case submission was dismissed in November 2025.

Nwabuoku briefly served as acting Accountant-General of the Federation after his appointment on May 20, 2022, by former President Muhammadu Buhari. He replaced Ahmed Idris, who had been suspended over an alleged N80 billion fraud.

However, Nwabuoku’s tenure was short-lived, as he was removed from office in July 2022 following reports that he was under investigation by the EFCC.

The conviction marks another high-profile corruption case in Nigeria’s public service, as authorities continue efforts to tackle financial crimes and improve accountability in government institutions.