A senior Nigerian government official has been sentenced to a cumulative 72 years in prison after being found guilty of laundering hundreds of millions of naira in public funds, in a case highlighting ongoing efforts to tackle high-level corruption in Africa’s largest economy.
Chukwunyere Anamekwe Nwabuoku, a former acting Accountant General of the Federation, was convicted on Monday by Justice James Omotosho at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The court heard that Nwabuoku was involved in the laundering of approximately 868 million naira (about £400,000), funds prosecutors said were diverted from public coffers and channelled through a network of corporate entities to disguise their origin.
The prosecution was led by Nigeria’s anti-corruption body, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which brought a nine-count charge against the former official. The charges included conspiracy and multiple counts of money laundering under the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.
According to court filings, the offences took place between September 2019 and October 2020 in Abuja, during which time large sums were transferred into accounts linked to several companies, including Temeeo Synergy Concept Limited, Turge Global Investment Limited and Laptev Bridge Limited.
One of the counts detailed how more than 262 million naira was paid into an account belonging to Temeeo Synergy Concept Limited at Zenith Bank, while another outlined the transfer of over 202 million naira into an account linked to Turge Global Investment Limited. A further count cited the movement of more than 281 million naira through Laptev Bridge Limited.
Prosecutors argued that these transactions were designed to conceal the illicit origin of the funds. The court agreed, finding that the accounts were used as conduits to launder money derived from unlawful activity.
In his judgment, Justice Omotosho held that the prosecution had established its case beyond reasonable doubt, pointing to detailed financial records and documentary evidence tracing the flow of funds. He emphasised that the money in question had been earmarked for the operation of Nigeria’s Ministry of Defence but was instead diverted for personal use.
“The corporate accounts opened to receive proceeds of unlawful activities did not bear the name of the defendant,” the judge noted, adding that this was a deliberate attempt to avoid detection and prosecution.
The 72-year sentence reflects consecutive prison terms imposed across the various counts. Under Nigerian law, such sentences are often served concurrently, though the ruling nonetheless underscores the seriousness with which the court viewed the offences.
The conviction marks a significant win for the EFCC, which has faced both domestic and international scrutiny over its effectiveness in prosecuting high-profile corruption cases. In recent years, the agency has intensified efforts to pursue senior public officials accused of financial crimes, amid broader concerns about governance and accountability in Nigeria.
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