The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal by a former Acting Accountant-General of the Federation, Chukwunyere Anamekwe Nwabuoku, challenging his conviction and 72-year imprisonment for money laundering involving N868.465 million.
In a judgment delivered on Friday, November 13, 2026, Justice Ele-Ojo Enenche, who led a three-member panel, held that the appeal lacked merit after resolving all four issues raised by the appellant against him.
The appellate court consequently upheld the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which convicted Nwabuoku on all nine counts of money laundering instituted against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In resolving the issues, the Court of Appeal affirmed that Nwabuoku’s extra-judicial statements were voluntarily obtained and that the trial court had properly evaluated the evidence presented by the prosecution.
The court also held that the EFCC successfully established its case beyond reasonable doubt on all nine counts, dismissing the appellant’s arguments challenging the sufficiency of the prosecution’s evidence.
Similarly, the appellate court rejected Nwabuoku’s challenge to the EFCC’s statutory authority to investigate and prosecute the offences, affirming that the commission possessed the requisite legal powers.
Following the judgment, EFCC counsel, Ekele Ihenacho, SAN, who led the commission’s legal team, commended the court for upholding justice in the case.
Nwabuoku was convicted on March 23, 2026, by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, and sentenced to 72 years’ imprisonment for laundering N868,465,000.
Dissatisfied with the conviction, the former Acting Accountant-General approached the Court of Appeal to challenge the judgment.
He subsequently filed a bail application on May 8, 2026, through his counsel, N.I. Quakers, SAN, citing deteriorating health and the need for medical attention beyond the facilities available at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, which provides medical services to inmates of the Nigerian Correctional Service’s Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje, Abuja.
In the application, Nwabuoku described himself as a responsible citizen who had previously served as Acting Accountant-General of the Federation. He also claimed to have credible sureties willing to guarantee his release.
However, the EFCC opposed the application through a counter-affidavit filed on May 25, 2026, arguing that the offences were serious and involved substantial public funds allegedly meant for national security operations and the fight against insurgency.
The commission maintained that granting bail under the circumstances could undermine public confidence in the fight against corruption, money laundering and the misuse of public resources.
It further argued that the gravity of the offences and the circumstances surrounding the conviction did not justify granting the application.
The bail request was subsequently dismissed by the court for lacking merit.
With the latest ruling, the Court of Appeal has affirmed Nwabuoku’s conviction and 72-year prison sentence, bringing his challenge to the Federal High Court judgment to an unsuccessful conclusion.
