The Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted and sentenced Chukwunyere Anamekwe Nwabuoku, former Acting Accountant‑General of the Federation, to 72 years in prison for his role in a N868.46 million money laundering and fraud case brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The judgment followed a prosecution that proved Nwabuoku guilty on multiple charges, including money laundering, criminal breach of trust, and illegal diversion of public funds. The investigation revealed that the former accountant-general, while serving in senior government positions, including Director of Finance and Accounts at the Federal Ministry of Defence (2019–2021) and later as Acting Accountant‑General in 2022, conspired with several companies to illegally transfer public funds into private accounts. Companies implicated include Temero Synergy Concept Limited, Turge Global Investment Limited, Laptev Bridge Limited, and Arafura Transnational Afro Limited.
In November 2025, the High Court dismissed Nwabuoku’s no-case submission, affirming that the EFCC had provided sufficient evidence to compel him to present a defense. Despite his plea for acquittal in early 2026, the court ruled that the evidence clearly demonstrated deliberate money laundering and misappropriation of government funds.
The court imposed cumulative prison terms across the nine counts of the amended charges, resulting in a total sentence of 72 years.
This ruling underscores ongoing efforts by the Nigerian government and the EFCC to tackle high-level corruption and ensure accountability among public officials.
