Court jails ex-accountant general 72 years for N868m fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday said a former Acting Accountant-General of the Federation, Chukwunyere, Anamekwe Nwabuoku, has been convicted and sentenced to 72 years imprisonment for fraud involving N868.46 million.

The commission disclosed this in a post on its X handle, noting that Nwabuoku was prosecuted before the Federal High Court in Abuja on charges bordering on money laundering.

“The former Acting Accountant-General of the Federation, Chukwunyere Anamekwe Nwabuoku, who was prosecuted by the EFCC at the Federal High Court, Abuja, for money laundering involving N868.46 million, has been convicted and sentenced to jail for 72 years,” the statement read.

Nwabuoku was appointed acting Accountant-General of the Federation in May 2022 following the suspension of Ahmed Idris over an alleged N800 million fraud, but was removed a few weeks later.

The EFCC had arraigned him on January 15, 2025, on nine amended counts of money laundering.

The court subsequently granted him bail in the sum of N500 million with two sureties in like sum.

In the first count, the anti-graft agency alleged that Nwabuoku, alongside several companies, including Temero Synergy Concept Limited, Turge Global Investment Limited, Laptev Bridge Limited and Arafura Transnational Afro Limited, conspired to convert funds believed to be proceeds of unlawful activities.

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The alleged offence contravened Section 18 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and is punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.

The commission also said the offences involved the alleged laundering of about N86 million while he served as Director of Finance and Accounts at the Ministry of Defence between 2019 and 2021.

According to the EFCC, the prosecution called nine witnesses during the trial, including a Zenith Bank staff member, Eucharia Ezeodi, and a director in the federal civil service, Felix Nweke.