“Justice or Selective Punishment? Nwabuoku’s 72-Year Sentence Ignites National Debate”
.......Court Slams Ex-AGF with 72-Year Jail Term Over N868m Fraud as Confession Backfires
By Passman Akpos
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced former Acting Accountant-General of the Federation, Chukwunyere Anamekwe Nwabuoku, to a staggering 72 years in prison after convicting him on multiple counts of money laundering involving N868.4 million.
The judgment, delivered on Monday, March 23, 2026, by Justice James Omotosho, followed a detailed trial that exposed what prosecutors described as a sophisticated scheme to divert public funds under the guise of security operations.
The case, prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), revealed that Nwabuoku authorised the transfer of N868,465,000 from the Ministry of Defence to four private companies—Temeeo Synergy Concept Limited, Turge Global Investment Limited, Laptev Bridge, and Arafura Transnational Afro Limited.
In a dramatic twist during the proceedings, Nwabuoku admitted in court that he approved the transfers for what he termed “classified purposes.” This confession sharply contradicted his earlier denials, where he insisted he had no prior dealings with the companies and only became aware of them during the trial.
Under cross-examination by prosecution counsel Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, the former official was confronted with a prior statement he made to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on February 2, 2025, in which he acknowledged facilitating the transactions.
The EFCC maintained that there was no credible evidence to support claims that the funds were used for legitimate security operations, noting that no official documentation linked the disbursements to any lawful government activity. Prosecutors argued that the payments were part of a broader money laundering scheme designed to siphon public funds through private entities.
Further damaging revelations emerged regarding Nwabuoku’s personal assets. Although he initially claimed his residence was acquired legitimately, he later admitted that a N64 million cheque issued by Mdavi Limited was used to pay City Gate Homes for the property—raising additional questions about the source of the funds.
The anti-graft agency had arraigned him on an amended nine-count charge bordering on money laundering in violation of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act. The court ultimately upheld the EFCC’s position, ruling that the funds were unlawfully diverted and laundered.
The conviction marks one of the most significant rulings against a top government finance official in recent years, reinforcing ongoing efforts by anti-corruption agencies to clamp down on financial crimes within Nigeria’s public sector.
