The Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, has fixed April 30, 2026, to rule on an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking the final forfeiture of a property linked to a former Acting Accountant General of the Federation, Chukwunyere Anamekwe Nwabuoku.
Justice Mohammed Umar adjourned the matter after hearing arguments from both the prosecution and the defence on Tuesday.
At the proceedings, defence counsel, N.I. Quakers, SAN, informed the court that the defence had filed an application seeking to set aside the interim forfeiture order granted on January 27, 2025, as well as a notice of preliminary objection dated August 15, 2025, challenging the jurisdiction of the court.
Quakers urged the court to discountenance the EFCC’s application for final forfeiture, arguing that the property in question is already the subject of a criminal trial pending before another court. He contended that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the forfeiture application and prayed that it be struck out.
In response, prosecuting counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, referred the court to a motion dated and filed on May 6, 2024, seeking a final forfeiture order. He submitted that the property was reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of crime.
According to the prosecution, the application is supported by an eight-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Chinyelu Vivian Okpara, an EFCC operative, with documentary exhibits marked EFCC 1 to EFCC 7. Iheanacho urged the court to rely on the affidavit evidence and grant the forfeiture order.
Elaborating, the prosecutor told the court that Nwabuoku was, at the material time, Director of Finance at the Ministry of Defence, when funds meant strictly for military operations against Boko Haram were released.
He alleged that part of the funds was diverted through fictitious accounts, amounting to about N900 million, out of which approximately N355 million was traced to the respondent through an account he allegedly nominated, belonging to M. Davies Enterprises Ltd.
Iheanacho further stated that the property sought to be forfeited was purchased from the said funds and is currently occupied by the defendant. He added that during investigation, Nwabuoku allegedly handed over the keys to the property and refunded part of the funds, but later challenged the forfeiture proceedings.
The prosecution also informed the court of a further affidavit filed on May 16, 2024, and again urged the court to grant the application.
After listening to arguments from both sides, Justice Umar adjourned the matter to April 30, 2026, for ruling on the applications and judgment.
Meanwhile, the EFCC is separately prosecuting Nwabuoku on an amended nine-count charge of money laundering involving N868,465,000 before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
