A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Anamekwe Nwabuoku, former acting Accountant-General of the Federation, to 72 years in prison for money laundering.
Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice James Omotosho ruled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had proven its case against Nwabuoku. He had faced a nine-count amended charge involving money laundering and fraud totaling N868.4 million.
Nwabuoku was initially granted bail of N500 million with two sureties in the same sum. According to the EFCC, he allegedly conspired with companies including Temeeo Synergy Concept Limited, Turge Global Investment Limited, Laptev Bridge Limited, and Arafura Transnational Afro Limited to launder funds suspected to be proceeds of illegal activities.
The offences, which took place while he served as Director of Finance and Accounts at the Ministry of Defence between 2019 and 2021, violate the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, as amended.
Nwabuoku had challenged the charges through a no-case submission, which the court dismissed in November 2025. He was appointed acting Accountant-General on May 20, 2022, by then-President Muhammadu Buhari following the suspension of Ahmed Idris over an alleged N80 billion fraud, but was removed from office in July 2022 amid EFCC investigations.
