A former acting Accountant General of the Federation, Anamekwe Nwabuoku, and his co-defendant, Felix Nweke, are facing trial for allegedly laundering N1.6 billion. They are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on 11 counts of money laundering.
The defendants allegedly committed the crime while Nwabuoku served as the Director of Finance and Accounts in the Ministry of Defence between 2019 and 2021. Nwabuoku was appointed acting Accountant-General of the Federation in May 2022 but was removed in July 2022 after a few weeks in office.
In the latest development, the defendants have asked the court for more time to conclude the refund of the allegedly looted funds. Nweke’s lawyer, Emeka Onyeaka, informed the court that his client has made substantial refunds of the money traced to him by the EFCC.
The court was asked to halt the arraignment until another date to allow the defendants to perfect the refund. The EFCC counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, did not object to the request. The court is yet to rule on the matter.
The case has been adjourned to a later date to allow the defendants to conclude the refund of the allegedly looted funds. The EFCC is prosecuting the case, and the outcome will determine the fate of the defendants.
