Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, sitting in Maitama, Abuja, on Monday, March 23, 2026, convicted and sentenced former Acting Accountant-General of the Federation, Chukwunyere Anamekwe Nwabuoku, to 72 years imprisonment for money laundering involving N868,465,000.
Nwabuoku was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a nine-count charge bordering on money laundering.
In his judgment, Justice Omotosho held that the prosecution successfully proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, noting that “concrete evidence” was presented to substantiate the charges against the former public official.
The court heard that Nwabuoku, alongside several companies currently at large, conspired between September 2019 and October 2020 to convert funds derived from unlawful activities.
The offence contravenes provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, as amended.
According to the charges, the defendant used multiple corporate entities to channel illicit funds through bank accounts. Among the transactions cited were:
N262.6 million paid into the account of Temeeo Synergy Concept Limited
N202.8 million paid into the account of Turge Global Investment Limited
N281.1 million paid into the account of Laptev Bridge Limited
All accounts were domiciled with Zenith Bank Plc and were allegedly used to conceal proceeds of unlawful activities.
Justice Omotosho ruled that the funds in question were diverted from allocations meant for the operation of Nigeria’s Ministry of Defence. He further observed that the use of corporate accounts not bearing the defendant’s name was a deliberate attempt to conceal his involvement and evade prosecution.
“The defendant created layers of financial transactions to shield himself, but the evidence before the court clearly establishes his culpability,” the judge said.
The conviction marks a significant development in Nigeria’s ongoing anti-corruption efforts, particularly in cases involving high-ranking public officials and the misappropriation of government funds.
