A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced former Acting Accountant-General of the Federation, Chukwunyere Anamekwe Nwabuoku, to 72 years imprisonment after finding him guilty of offences linked to money laundering involving N868.46 million.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) confirmed the conviction on Monday in a statement shared via its official X handle, noting that the former senior government official was prosecuted on multiple charges bordering on financial misconduct and laundering of public funds.
According to the anti-graft agency, Nwabuoku was convicted following his arraignment on amended charges filed on January 15, 2025. The charges stemmed from allegations that he and several companies allegedly conspired to convert funds suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
The EFCC said the case involved transactions linked to firms including Temero Synergy Concept Limited, Turge Global Investment Limited, Laptev Bridge Limited, and Arafura Transnational Afro Limited. The offences were said to contravene provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended).
Court records also showed that part of the allegations included the laundering of about N86 million during his tenure as Director of Finance and Accounts at the Ministry of Defence between 2019 and 2021.
During the trial, the prosecution presented nine witnesses, including a staff member of Zenith Bank, Eucharia Ezeodi, and a federal civil service director, Felix Nweke. After evaluating the evidence, the court ruled against the defendant and handed down the lengthy prison sentence.
Nwabuoku had previously served briefly as Acting Accountant-General of the Federation in May 2022 following the suspension of his predecessor, Ahmed Idris, who was also accused of corruption involving large sums of money. However, his tenure lasted only a few weeks before he was removed from office.
He was earlier granted bail in the sum of N500 million with two sureties in like sum while awaiting trial.
The conviction adds to ongoing efforts by anti-corruption agencies to clamp down on financial crimes involving public officials, particularly within key government institutions.
