Court Sets Date in Ex-AG N868m Trial
The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed April 13, 2026, to deliver judgment in the alleged N868 million money laundering case involving former acting Accountant-General of the Federation, Chukwunyere Nwabuoku.
The date was set on Monday by Justice James Omotosho after lawyers for both the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the defendant adopted their final written addresses and presented their closing arguments.
The EFCC is prosecuting Nwabuoku over claims that he was involved in laundering public funds while serving as Director of Finance and Accounts at the Ministry of Defence between 2019 and 2021.
The agency alleged that he worked with some companies, including Temeeo Synergy Concept Limited, Turge Global Investment Limited, Laptev Bridge Limited, and Arafura Transnational Afro Limited, to convert funds believed to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
Nwabuoku was first arraigned on January 15, 2025, on a nine-count amended charge. He was granted bail in the sum of N500 million with two sureties in like amount. The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/240/2024, lists him as the only defendant after the charge was later amended.
According to the anti-graft agency, the alleged offences violate provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, as amended in 2012, and are punishable under the law. The prosecution called nine witnesses during the trial.
Among them were a Zenith Bank official, Eucharia Ezeodi, and a civil servant, Felix Nweke.
On November 13, 2025, the court dismissed a no-case submission filed by the defendant. The judge ruled that there was enough evidence for him to enter his defence, adding that this decision did not amount to a declaration of guilt.
Nwabuoku began his defence on February 2, 2026. He asked the court to discharge and acquit him, denying any link to the companies named in the charge and stating that he was not a signatory to their accounts.
Earlier in February 2025, he had considered a plea bargain arrangement but later withdrew from the process.
Nwabuoku was appointed acting Accountant-General of the Federation on May 20, 2022, by former President Muhammadu Buhari after the suspension of Ahmed Idris over an alleged N80 billion fraud. However, he was removed from office in July 2022 and replaced by Sylva Okolieaboh following reports that he was under investigation by the EFCC.
With both sides having concluded their arguments, the court will deliver its verdict in April 2026.