- Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Chukwunyere Anamekwe Nwabuoku, the former Acting Accountant-General of the Federation, to 72 years in prison for money laundering.
- During the trial, Nwabuoku confessed to authorizing the illegal transfer of ₦868.4 million from the Ministry of Defence to four private companies under the guise of “classified” security purposes.
- The prosecution, led by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), successfully argued that there was no documented evidence linking the payments to any lawful government operations or security expenditures.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has handed down a landmark judgment against a top-tier civil servant in a decisive move against financial corruption within Nigeria’s public sector.
Eko Hot Blog reports that on Monday, March 23, 2026, Chukwunyere Anamekwe Nwabuoku was found guilty on multiple counts of money laundering involving the diversion of ₦868,465,000.
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Nwabuoku, who previously served as the Director of Finance at the Ministry of Defence before his stint as the Acting Accountant-General, was sentenced to 72 years in prison following a rigorous prosecution by the EFCC.
The trial took a dramatic turn when Nwabuoku admitted to his role in facilitating transfers to several private entities, including Temeeo Synergy Concept Limited, Turge Global Investment Limited, Laptev Bridge, and Arafura Transnational Afro Limited.
While he initially denied any relationship with these firms, he was later confronted with his own statements made to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in February 2025.
In those statements, he acknowledged overseeing the movement of ministry funds for undisclosed “classified purposes,” a claim the court ultimately rejected due to a total lack of supporting documentation or evidence of legitimate government necessity.
Further scrutiny by the prosecution revealed deeper layers of financial misconduct. Under cross-examination by Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, Nwabuoku admitted that a ₦64 million cheque from a private company, Mdavi Limited, was utilized to pay for his personal residence through City Gate Homes.
The court upheld the EFCC’s position that these transactions were part of a sophisticated scheme to launder public funds through private channels.
By sentencing the former official to 72 years, Justice Omotosho underscored the judiciary’s commitment to holding high-ranking public officers accountable for the misappropriation of national assets.
This conviction marks one of the most significant anti-graft victories for the EFCC in recent years, particularly given Nwabuoku’s former position as the custodian of the nation’s accounts.
The ruling serves as a stern warning to public officials about the consequences of using “classified expenditures” as a shield for embezzlement.
As of Monday evening, Nwabuoku has been remanded to begin his sentence, signaling a closure to a case that has been closely watched by transparency advocates and the Nigerian public alike.
