The Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted and sentenced a former Acting Accountant‑General of the Federation, Chukwunyere Anamekwe Nwabuoku, to 72 years in prison over a N868.46 million money laundering and fraud case.
Bellnews reports that the judgment was delivered after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) successfully prosecuted Nwabuoku on multiple counts that include money laundering, criminal breach of trust, and illegal diversion of public funds.
The probe into Nwabuoku began while he was serving in senior roles within the federal government, including as Director of Finance and Accounts at the Federal Ministry of Defence (2019–2021) and later as Acting Accountant‑General in 2022 following the suspension of his predecessor.
The EFCC filed a nine‑count amended charge against him, alleging that he conspired with several companies, such as Temero Synergy Concept Limited, Turge Global Investment Limited, Laptev Bridge Limited and Arafura Transnational Afro Limited to divert N868.46 million of public funds into private accounts and transactions that had no lawful basis.
In November 2025, the High Court dismissed his no‑case submission, ruling that the anti‑graft agency had presented sufficient evidence to require him to open his defence.
Nwabuoku later opened his defence in early 2026, urging the court to acquit him, but the prosecution maintained that the evidence showed deliberate money laundering and misuse of government funds.
After considering the evidence and testimonies from both sides, the court found the ex‑AGF guilty on all counts and handed down a cumulative sentence of 72 years, with terms for each charge.