Ex-Acting Accountant-General of the Federation Jailed 72 Years for N868m Money Laundering

Ex-Acting Accountant-General of the Federation Jailed 72 Years for N868m Money Laundering

Federal High Court Convicts Chukwunyere Nwabuoku on March 23, 2026, Describes Diversion of Defence Funds as ‘Appalling’

In a landmark ruling delivered today, March 23, 2026, the Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced former Acting Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr. Chukwunyere Anamekwe Nwabuoku, to a 72-year jail term without the option of a fine.

Justice James Omotosho convicted Nwabuoku on all nine counts of money laundering preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The judge sentenced him to eight years imprisonment on each count, totaling 72 years, though the sentences are to run concurrently.

“The defendant is hereby convicted as charged,” the judge declared, adding that “the act of diverting funds meant for national security is appalling.” He commended the EFCC for presenting “detailed and convincing evidence” in what he described as a meticulously prosecuted case.

The EFCC, in statements shared on its official channels, hailed the judgment as “a significant step in its efforts to ensure accountability and deter financial crimes in the public sector,” noting that the offences involved the diversion and concealment of public funds amounting to N868.46 million.

Nwabuoku, who briefly served as Acting Accountant-General of the Federation after the suspension of his predecessor Ahmed Idris in 2022, was arraigned on January 15, 2025, on the nine-count amended charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/240/2024. He was granted bail in the sum of N500 million with two sureties in like sum.

The offences were allegedly committed between 2019 and 2021 while Nwabuoku served as Director of Finance and Accounts in the Federal Ministry of Defence. According to the EFCC, he conspired with several companies—including Temeeo Synergy Concept Limited, Turge Global Investment Limited, Laptev Bridge Limited, and Arafura Transnational Afro Limited (some still at large)—to convert and launder the funds through multiple bank accounts and cash withdrawals.

The court noted that Nwabuoku voluntarily refunded part of the siphoned money—over N200 million—during the investigation, a fact not disputed by the defence. A no-case submission filed by the defendant was earlier dismissed, after which he opened his defence.

Nwabuoku was appointed Acting Accountant-General on May 20, 2022, by then-President Muhammadu Buhari following Idris’s suspension over separate multi-billion naira allegations. He was later removed amid fresh corruption probes.

Reacting to the verdict handed down today, the EFCC described the outcome as “justice served” and a clear warning that public funds must be protected. Legal observers say the heavy sentence, even with concurrency, underscores the judiciary’s hardening stance on high-profile graft cases involving security-sector finances.

Nwabuoku is expected to be taken into custody immediately to begin serving his term at a correctional facility, pending any appeal. The judgment comes as the EFCC continues its aggressive push against former public officials implicated in large-scale financial misconduct.

This conviction adds to a growing list of senior treasury officials facing the full weight of the law, reinforcing President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s anti-corruption narrative.