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By Lizzy Chirkpi
The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal by former Acting Accountant-General of the Federation, Chukwunyere Anamekwe Nwabuoku, challenging his conviction and 72-year prison sentence for laundering N868.46m.
In a judgment delivered on Friday, November 13, 2026, Justice Ele-Ojo Enenche, who led a three-member panel, held that the appeal lacked merit, resolving all four issues raised by Nwabuoku against him.
The appellate court consequently affirmed the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which convicted Nwabuoku on all nine counts of money laundering brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The court rejected his challenge to the admissibility of his extra-judicial statements, holding that the evidence established that they were voluntarily made.
It also held that the trial court properly evaluated the evidence presented by the prosecution and that the EFCC had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
On the EFCC’s statutory powers to investigate and prosecute the offences, the appellate court equally ruled in favour of the commission, affirming its legal authority to prosecute the case.
The judgment upholds the conviction and sentence imposed on Nwabuoku by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on March 23, 2026.
During the trial, Justice Omotosho held that funds meant for the operations of the Ministry of Defence were diverted for personal benefit through corporate accounts.
The judge, while delivering the conviction, said: “The evidence is clear that funds meant for the ministry of defence were converted to personal use when they were transferred into corporate accounts for the benefit of the defendant.”
He also questioned how Nwabuoku, who was a civil servant at the time, acquired properties and shares worth millions of naira without providing sufficient evidence of legitimate business activities to explain his wealth.
The trial judge further noted that a prosecution witness had testified that Nwabuoku refunded N220m into the EFCC’s recovery account during investigations, a claim the defence did not challenge.
Dissatisfied with the conviction, Nwabuoku approached the Court of Appeal to challenge the Federal High Court’s decision.
Through his lawyer, N.I. Quakers, SAN, he also filed an application for bail pending appeal on May 8, 2026, citing deteriorating health and the need for specialised medical attention beyond the facilities available at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital.
He argued that he was a responsible citizen who had served the country as Acting Accountant-General of the Federation and had credible sureties willing to guarantee his release.
However, the EFCC opposed the application in a counter-affidavit filed on May 25, 2026, arguing that the seriousness of the offences and the circumstances of his conviction did not warrant his release.
The commission maintained that the offences involved substantial public funds earmarked for national security and the fight against insurgency.
It further argued that granting bail would undermine public confidence in efforts to combat corruption, money laundering and the misuse of public resources.
The Court of Appeal had earlier dismissed his application for bail pending appeal in July 2026, ruling that he failed to establish sufficient grounds for his release.
EFCC counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, who led the commission’s legal team, commended the appellate court for upholding the conviction.
Nwabuoku was prosecuted on a nine-count charge bordering on the laundering of N868,465,000.
The charges arose from transactions involving corporate accounts through which funds allegedly diverted from the Ministry of Defence were channelled.
Justice Omotosho sentenced him to eight years’ imprisonment on each of the nine counts, bringing the cumulative sentence to 72 years. The sentences, however, were ordered to run concurrently.
Friday’s judgment has now affirmed both the conviction and sentence, dealing a major setback to Nwabuoku’s bid to overturn his money laundering conviction.