A former acting Accountant-General of the Federation, Anamekwe Nwabuoku, on Wednesday, urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to grant him time to explore the possibility of negotiating an out-of-court settlement with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) regarding allegations of a N1.96 billion fraud.
Nwabuoku, who is facing nine counts filed by the EFCC, was initially charged alongside Felix Nweke, a director in the Federal Civil Service. However, the EFCC amended the charges, removing Nweke as a co-defendant after he agreed to testify against Nwabuoku.
The amended charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/240/24, accuses Nwabuoku of violating Section 18 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, which carries penalties under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
Nwabuoku was appointed acting Accountant-General of the Federation in May 2022 following the suspension of Ahmed Idris, who faced charges of laundering N80.2 billion. However, Nwabuoku’s tenure was short-lived, as he was removed in July 2022 following allegations of financial misconduct just weeks after his appointment.
During the trial, Felix Nweke, now a prosecution witness, testified that Nwabuoku used four companies to divert the N1.96 billion in public funds. He further claimed that the money was channeled through bank accounts managed by a proxy, Gideon Joseph.
At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, Nwabuoku’s lawyer, Isidore Udenko, requested the court to allow his client more time to negotiate a settlement with the EFCC. This request came after EFCC counsel, Ekele Iheanacho (SAN), informed the court that the prosecution had five additional witnesses prepared to testify in the case.
Udenko explained that Nwabuoku had previously attempted to reach a settlement with the EFCC, but those negotiations had not been successful. He also revealed that a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) had been engaged to assist in facilitating new settlement talks.
In response, Iheanacho confirmed that the prosecution had no objections to granting Nwabuoku additional time for settlement discussions. He emphasized that while the prosecution was ready to proceed with the trial, it would not oppose the request for a delay if it served the interests of justice.
Justice James Omotosho adjourned the case to March 13, 2025, for an update on the settlement talks or to continue with the trial, depending on the outcome of the negotiations.
