A former Acting Accountant-General of the Federation, Anamekwe Nwabuoku, has appealed to the Federal High Court in Abuja for time to negotiate an out-of-court settlement with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged N1.96 billion fraud.
Nwabuoku, who is facing nine counts of money laundering, made the request through his counsel, Isidore Udenko, at the resumed hearing on Wednesday. The EFCC had initially charged him alongside Felix Nweke, a director in the Federal Civil Service, but later amended the charges, dropping Nweke as a co-defendant after he agreed to testify against Nwabuoku.
The prosecution, led by EFCC counsel Ekele Iheanacho (SAN), had lined up five additional witnesses to testify against the former accountant-general. However, Udenko informed the court that his client was seeking a resolution outside the courtroom, citing previous but unsuccessful attempts at settlement. He added that a Senior Advocate of Nigeria had been engaged to facilitate fresh negotiations with the anti-graft agency.
In response, Iheanacho stated that while the prosecution was ready to proceed with the trial, it had no objections to the defendant’s request for settlement discussions, provided it aligned with the interests of justice.
Justice James Omotosho subsequently adjourned the case to March 13 for an update on the settlement talks or the continuation of trial.
The allegations against Nwabuoku stem from his tenure as Acting Accountant-General following his appointment in May 2022 after the suspension of his predecessor, Ahmed Idris, who was accused of laundering N80.2 billion. However, Nwabuoku himself was removed from office in July 2022, just weeks after assuming the position, amid emerging accusations of financial misconduct.
During previous proceedings, the prosecution witness, Nweke, testified that Nwabuoku had allegedly diverted N1.96 billion in public funds using four different companies. He further claimed that the stolen funds were funneled through bank accounts operated by a proxy, identified as Gideon Joseph.
The charges against Nwabuoku, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/240/24, cite violations of Section 18 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended by Act No. 1 of 2012), which carries penalties under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
With the court granting time for negotiations, all eyes will be on the upcoming hearing to determine whether a settlement is reached or if the trial will proceed as initially planned.
