A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced former Acting Accountant-General of the Federation, Anamekwe Nwabuoku, to 72 years in prison for money laundering.
Delivering the judgment on Monday, Justice James Omotosho ruled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) successfully established its case against the defendant.
Nwabuoku had been arraigned on a nine-count amended charge involving money laundering and fraud amounting to N868.4 million. He was previously granted bail in the sum of N500 million with two sureties in like amount.
In the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/240/2024, the EFCC alleged that Nwabuoku conspired with several companies, including Temeeo Synergy Concept Limited, Turge Global Investment Limited, Laptev Bridge Limited, and Arafura Transnational Afro Limited, to launder funds suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
The offences were said to contravene Section 18 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended), punishable under Section 15(3) of the Act.
According to the commission, the offences were committed during his tenure as Director of Finance and Accounts at the Ministry of Defence between 2019 and 2021.
The court had earlier dismissed his no-case submission in November 2025.
Nwabuoku was appointed acting accountant-general on May 20, 2022, by former 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 his appointment, amid reports of an ongoing EFCC investigation.