JUST IN: Court Sentences Ex-AGF Nwabuoku to 72 Years in Prison Over N868m Fraud

A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced former Acting Accountant-General of the Federation, Chukwunyere Anamekwe Nwabuoku, to a cumulative 72 years in prison for his role in a N868.4 million fraud case.

The judgment was delivered on Monday by James Omotosho, who found Nwabuoku guilty on multiple counts of money laundering. The case was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and involved a total of N868,465,000.

During the trial, Nwabuoku admitted authorising the transfer of funds from the Ministry of Defence to four private companies, describing the payments as linked to classified operations. He had earlier made a similar admission in a statement to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on February 2, 2025.

The companies named in the transactions were Temeeo Synergy Concept Limited, Turge Global Investment Limited, Laptev Bridge, and Arafura Transnational Afro Limited.

His admission marked a reversal from his earlier defence, where he denied any connection to the firms and claimed he only became aware of them during court proceedings. Under cross-examination, prosecution counsel Ekele Iheanacho (SAN) presented his prior statement acknowledging involvement in the transfers.

The prosecution argued that no evidence was provided to support the claim that the funds were used for legitimate security purposes. According to the EFCC, the money formed part of a broader scheme in which public funds were diverted and routed through private entities under the guise of security spending.

The court also heard details about Nwabuoku’s property acquisition. Although he initially claimed the purchase was legitimate, he later confirmed that a N64 million cheque issued by Mdavi Limited was used to pay City Gate Homes for the residence. This disclosure raised further questions about the source of the funds.

Nwabuoku was arraigned on an amended nine-count charge under the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act. The court’s decision affirmed the prosecution’s position that the funds were unlawfully diverted and laundered through private companies.