Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced former Acting Accountant-General of the Federation, Chukwunyere Anamekwe Nwabuoku, to 72 years imprisonment for laundering N868.4 million in public funds.
Delivering judgment yesterday, Justice James Omotosho ruled that the prosecution successfully proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, establishing that the defendant diverted funds meant for Nigeria’s Ministry of Defence for personal use.
“The evidence is clear that funds meant for the ministry of defense were converted to personal use,” the judge said, noting that the money was routed through multiple corporate accounts to conceal its origin.
The court found Nwabuoku guilty on several counts of money laundering brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, including the conversion of hundreds of millions of naira through accounts linked to companies such as Temeeo Synergy Concept Limited and Turge Global Investment Limited.
Justice Omotosho further held that the pattern of transactions and lack of legitimate business activity pointed to deliberate criminal intent.
“He was unable to explain how he purchased a property of N64 million and how he got his shares worth N200 million,” the judge said. “If he did not have a guilty mind, then he would not have refunded the money.”
Evidence presented in court showed that the defendant refunded N220 million to the EFCC recovery account, an action the court interpreted as an admission of guilt.
The judge also highlighted suspicious financial activity, noting that Nwabuoku’s bank balance stood at just N3 million before 2019, but surged dramatically within the period the offences were committed.
“The timeline is quite curious as it coincides with the timeline of the said offences,” he added.
The conviction marks one of the most significant recent rulings in Nigeria’s anti-corruption drive, particularly involving senior public officials and the mismanagement of defence funds.
