ABUJA — The Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted and sentenced a former Acting Accountant-General of the Federation, Chukwunyere Nwabuoku, to a total of 72 years imprisonment for money laundering involving N868 million.
Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice James Omotosho found that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) proved its nine-count charge beyond reasonable doubt.
The court sentenced Nwabuoku to eight years on each count, to run concurrently from March 23, 2026.
Nwabuoku was arraigned on January 15, 2025, on charges bordering on laundering public funds while serving as Director of Finance and Accounts in the Ministry of Defence between 2019 and 2021.
The judge held that the defendant diverted funds meant for national security into personal investments, using proxies and corporate accounts to channel the money into securities trading.
He described the act as a classic case of money laundering, involving the conversion of illicit funds into seemingly legitimate assets.
Justice Omotosho dismissed the defence’s argument that the defendant’s confessional statements were involuntary, ruling that failure to object at the point of tendering rendered the claim an afterthought.
The court noted that evidence showed a sudden surge in Nwabuoku’s financial portfolio during the period of the alleged offences, with tens of millions of naira traced to his accounts through linked entities.
Although the defendant refunded N220 million during investigation and pleaded for leniency, the court held that the gravity of the offence warranted strict punishment.
The judge also directed the EFCC to file a formal application for the forfeiture of assets linked to the crime.
