Chukwunyere Anamekwe Nwabuoku, a former Acting Accountant General of the Federation, has returned ₦220 million and a duplex to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as part of a non-conviction-based settlement over alleged fraud.
This development was revealed in an ex parte application filed by the EFCC, marked FHC/ABJ/177/2024, seen by Naijaonpoint which was scheduled for mention before Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday.
Nwabuoku is facing a separate criminal trial on a nine-count amended charge before Justice James Omotosho, involving ₦868,465,000 in alleged money laundering. He has pleaded not guilty, and the trial is ongoing.
According to the motion filed by EFCC counsel E. Iheanacho, SAN, the Commission is seeking an interim forfeiture of funds traced to Nwabuoku’s accounts and associated entities, namely:
Temeeo Synergy Concept Limited – ₦12,526,206.55
Turge Global Investment Limited – ₦4,102,570.25
Laptev Bridge Limited – ₦682,904.36
Arafura Transnational Afro Ltd – ₦51,279,067.53
EFCC Recovery Account – ₦220,000,000.00 refunded by Chukwunyere Anamekwe Nwabuoku
The EFCC urged the court to grant “an order of interim forfeiture of the funds and property listed in Schedules 1 and 2,” which they claim are “reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.”
The Commission also requested “an order of this Honourable Court directing the publication in any national newspaper of the interim order under relief 1 above for person(s) in whose possession the property and funds sought to be forfeited are found, or anyone interested… to appear before this Honourable Court to show cause within 14 days why the final order of forfeiture… should not be made in favour of the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
In a supporting affidavit, Chinelo Okpara, an EFCC official, stated that she was assigned to probe intelligence related to the alleged diversion of Internal Security funds disbursed to the Ministry of Defence, with Nwabuoku allegedly playing a major role.
According to Okpara, funds withdrawn from four companies implicated in the fraud were funneled into the account of M Davi Company Enterprises, and later used to benefit Nwabuoku, then Director of Finance and Accounts at the Ministry of Defence.
She further disclosed that between November 4, 2019, and September 5, 2020, individuals, including Mr. Joseph Gideon, deposited a total of ₦355 million into M Davi Company Enterprises “for the benefit of the Respondent.”
In a statement to the EFCC, the Respondent acknowledged ownership of the funds. “The Respondent utilized the sum of ₦64,000,000.00 (Sixty-Four Million Naira) only to purchase a five-bedroom (standalone) duplex at Number 20, City Gate Estate, Kukwaba, Abuja,” the Commission noted.
EFCC also alleged that Nwabuoku invested ₦160 million of the illicit funds in various securities and financial instruments.
“The Respondent refunded the sum of ₦220,000,000.00 (Two Hundred and Twenty Million Naira) into the Applicant’s Recovery Account 0020089341028 on 9th February 2022 and also voluntarily relinquished the property named Number 20, City Gate Estate, Kukwaba, Abuja to the Applicant alongside the house keys,” the EFCC added.
Citing the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 (Section 17), Iheanacho emphasized that the court has the legal authority to grant the reliefs, even without a criminal conviction.
Although the matter was scheduled for hearing on Monday, Naijaonpoint learned that the court did not sit, and the case has been adjourned to October 22, 2025.
Nwabuoku is facing a separate criminal trial on a nine-count amended charge before Justice James Omotosho, involving ₦868,465,000 in alleged money laundering. He has pleaded not guilty, and the trial is ongoing.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Nwabuoku as Acting AGF on May 22, 2022, pending the outcome of EFCC’s probe into suspended AGF, Ahmed Idris.