‘Money laundering’: Court to deliver judgment in ex-accountant-general Nwabuoku’s case on April 13

A federal high court in Abuja has scheduled April 13 forjudgement in the alleged N868 million money laundering trial of ChukwunyereNwabuoku, former acting accountant-general of the federation. James Omotosho, the presiding judge, fixed the date onMonday after Ekele Iheanacho, counsel to the Economic and Financial CrimesCommission (EFCC), and Norrison Quakers, the defendant’s lawyer, adopted theirfinal written addresses. Nwabuoku is standing trial on a nine-count amended charge oflaundering involving N868 million. He was granted bail of N500 million, withtwo sureties in like sum. In the charge sheet marked FHC/ABJ/CR/240/2024, theanti-graft agency 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 convert fundssuspected to be the proceeds of unlawful activities. The EFCC said the alleged offences contravene section 18 ofthe Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, as amended, and are punishableunder section 15(3) of the Act. According to the commission, the alleged offences werecommitted between 2019 and 2021, when Nwabuoku served as director of financeand accounts at the ministry of defence. He was appointed acting accountant-general of the federationon May 20, 2022, by the late former president Muhammadu Buhari, following thesuspension of Ahmed Idris over an alleged N80 billion fraud. However, Nwabuoku was removed from office in July 2022,barely weeks after his appointment, amid reports that he was under EFCCinvestigation. The EFCC called nine witnesses before closing its case. OnNovember 13, 2025, Omotosho dismissed Nwabuoku’s no-case submission and orderedhim to enter his defence. Nwabuoku opened his defence on February 2, 2026, denying theallegations and insisting that he was not a signatory to some of the companiesallegedly linked to him.

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