Court Grants Former Acting Accountant-General N500 Million Bail In Alleged N1.96 Billion Fraud Case
A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to former Acting Accountant-General of the Federation, Anamekwe Nnabuoku, in the sum of N500 million over allegations of a N1.96 billion fraud.
Justice James Omotosho, who presided over the hearing on Wednesday, stipulated that the bail must include two sureties owning landed properties in Abuja, with each property valued at no less than N250 million. The court also ordered the submission of the sureties’ bank statements and three years’ tax clearance for verification.
The case has been adjourned until January 31, 2025, for trial.
Nnabuoku faces a nine-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), accusing him of money laundering and converting public funds for personal use. The charges, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/240/2024, allege that he conspired with several entities, including Temeeo Synergy Concept Limited and Turge Global Investment Limited, to commit the offences.
The EFCC prosecutor, Martha Babatunde, informed the court that the charges were amended, with Nnabuoku listed as the sole defendant after his co-defendant, Felix Nweke, agreed to serve as a prosecution witness and fully refunded his share of the laundered funds.
Nnabuoku pleaded not guilty to the charges during the hearing. His lawyer, Isidore Udenko, moved for bail, which the prosecution opposed, citing the seriousness of the allegations and the risk of flight.
The alleged offences occurred during Nnabuoku’s tenure as Director of Finance and Accounts at the Ministry of Defence between 2019 and 2021. He was appointed Acting Accountant-General of the Federation in May 2022, following the suspension of Ahmed Idris over an alleged N80 billion fraud. However, Nnabuoku was removed just weeks later amid reports of ongoing EFCC investigations.
The EFCC revealed that Nweke, a former Deputy Director in the Ministry of Defence, had refunded the misappropriated funds and would testify against Nnabuoku. The court also acknowledged previous efforts by Nnabuoku and his co-defendants to seek time to refund public funds allegedly siphoned during their tenure.
The trial will proceed as scheduled, with the court now focused on addressing the allegations against the former acting AGF.
