BREAKING: Ex-Acting Accountant-General Anamekwe Nwabuoku sentenced to 72 Years for money laundering

A federal high court in Abuja has sentenced Anamekwe Nwabuoku to 72 years in prison for money laundering.

Presiding judge, James Omotosho, delivered the judgment on Monday, holding that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had proven its case against Nwabuoku.

Nwabuoku faced a nine-count amended charge of money laundering and fraud involving N868.4 million. He had been granted bail in the sum of N500 million with two sureties of like sum.

In the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/240/2024, the EFCC accused Nwabuoku of conspiring with companies including Temeeo Synergy Concept Limited, Turge Global Investment Limited, Laptev Bridge Limited, and Arafura Transnational Afro Limited to convert funds suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities. The offences contravened section 18 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, as amended, and are punishable under section 15(3) of the Act.

The commission alleged that Nwabuoku committed the offences while serving as director of finance and accounts in the Ministry of Defence between 2019 and 2021.

Nwabuoku’s no-case submission, filed earlier, was dismissed by the court in November 2025.

He had been appointed acting accountant-general of the federation on May 20, 2022, by then President Muhammadu Buhari following the suspension of Ahmed Idris over alleged N80 billion fraud.

However, he was removed from office in July 2022, weeks after assuming the role, amid EFCC investigations.