A Federal High Court in Abuja has handed Anamekwe Nwabuoku a 72-year prison sentence over money laundering charges.
The ruling was delivered on Monday by Justice James Omotosho, who stated that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission successfully proved its case.
Nwabuoku was tried on an amended nine-count charge involving alleged money laundering and fraud totaling N868.4 million. He had earlier been granted bail set at N500 million with two sureties of the same amount.
According to the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/240/2024, the EFCC accused him of working with several firms, including Temeeo Synergy Concept Limited, Turge Global Investment Limited, Laptev Bridge Limited, and Arafura Transnational Afro Limited, to channel funds believed to be proceeds of illegal activities. The offences violate provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, as amended.
The commission said the offences occurred while Nwabuoku served as director of finance and accounts at the Ministry of Defence between 2019 and 2021.
His earlier no-case submission was rejected by the court in November 2025.
Nwabuoku had been appointed acting accountant-general of the federation on May 20, 2022, by former President Muhammadu Buhari after the suspension of Ahmed Idris over an alleged N80 billion fraud. However, he was removed from the position in July 2022 amid an ongoing EFCC investigation.
