The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has announced that a former Acting Accountant-General of the Federation, Chukwunyere Anamekwe Nwabuoku, has been convicted and sentenced to 72 years in prison for fraud involving N868.46 million.
The commission disclosed the judgment on Monday via its X (formerly Twitter) handle, stating that Nwabuoku was prosecuted before the Federal High Court in Abuja on charges of 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 in May 2022, following the suspension of Ahmed Idris over allegations of an N800 million fraud, but he was removed from the position a few weeks later.
The EFCC had arraigned him on January 15, 2025, on nine amended counts of money laundering. The court initially granted him bail in the sum of N500 million with two sureties of similar value.
According to the EFCC, the offences involved the alleged laundering of N868.46 million, including about N86 million during his tenure as Director of Finance and Accounts at the Ministry of Defence between 2019 and 2021. The commission said Nwabuoku, along with 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.
The alleged offences contravened Section 18 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended), and are punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
During the trial, the EFCC called nine witnesses, including a Zenith Bank staff member, Eucharia Ezeodi, and a director in the federal civil service, Felix Nweke, to testify against Nwabuoku.