Former Acting Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Anamekwe Nwabuoku, has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja for time to negotiate a settlement with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over his ongoing fraud case.
Nwabuoku, who is facing a nine-count charge related to the alleged misappropriation of N1.96 billion, made this plea during a court session on Wednesday. The request came after the EFCC, represented by its lawyer, Ekele Iheanacho (SAN), informed the court that it had five additional witnesses ready to testify against him.
Although Nwabuoku was represented by his lawyer, Isidore Udenko, he told the court that he had hired a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) to assist in reaching an out-of-court settlement with the EFCC. Udenko noted that an earlier attempt to settle the matter with the anti-graft agency had failed, leading to the continuation of the trial.
The EFCC’s lawyer stated that while the prosecution was prepared to proceed with the case, it would not object to the defendant’s request if it served the interest of justice.
“Even though our five witnesses are in court and we are ready to go on with the trial, however, if request of the defendant will meet the justice of the case, we will not be opposing,” Iheanacho said.
Following this, Justice James Omotosho adjourned the case to March 13, allowing time for a possible settlement or the continuation of the hearing.
Nwabuoku was appointed as the Acting AGF in May 2022 after his predecessor, Ahmed Idris, was suspended and charged with laundering N80.2 billion in public funds. However, EFCC investigations later revealed that Nwabuoku himself was involved in fraudulent activities before his appointment, leading to his removal from office just a few weeks later in July 2022.
He was initially charged alongside a Federal Civil Service director, Felix Nweke. However, Nweke was later removed from the case after agreeing to testify against Nwabuoku. In the amended charges, the EFCC alleged that the former Acting AGF committed offences that violated the Money Laundering Prohibition Act of 2011, as amended in 2012.
The court had earlier heard testimonies about how Nwabuoku allegedly used four different companies to divert public funds. Nweke, who took the stand as a prosecution witness, explained that the stolen money was transferred into bank accounts operated by a man named Gideon Joseph, who was listed as the sole signatory.
