Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, has convicted and sentenced a former Acting Accountant-General of the Federation, Chukwunyere Anamekwe Nwabuoku, to 72 years’ imprisonment for money laundering involving N868.4 million.
The conviction followed prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on a nine-count charge bordering on money laundering offences.
Delivering judgment on Monday, the court held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, citing substantial evidence linking the defendant to the diversion and concealment of illicit funds.
Justice Omotosho ruled that funds meant for the Ministry of Defence were diverted for personal use through a network of corporate accounts allegedly used to disguise the origin of the الأموال. The court found that the accounts did not bear the defendant’s name, indicating deliberate attempts to evade detection and prosecution.
According to the judge, the defendant failed to provide credible explanations for significant financial transactions, including the acquisition of a N64 million property and shares valued at N200 million. The court also noted evidence that N220 million was refunded to an EFCC recovery account, which it interpreted as an admission of wrongdoing.
The court convicted Nwabuoku on multiple counts, including conspiracy and conversion of proceeds of unlawful activities. It held that evidence presented by prosecution witnesses established that he orchestrated the opening and operation of several corporate accounts used to channel illicit funds.
On additional counts, the court found the defendant guilty of concealing N355 million through third-party accounts without any legitimate business justification. The judge further observed irregular financial patterns, noting that the defendant’s account balance rose sharply from about N3 million prior to 2019 to multiple inflows of large sums within the period under review.
Justice Omotosho concluded that the timing and scale of the transactions aligned with the offences, reinforcing the prosecution’s case.
The sentencing marks one of the most significant convictions secured by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in recent times involving a senior public official.
