A dramatic turn of events unfolded in the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday as former acting Accountant- General of the Federation, Anamekwe Nwabuoku, pleaded with Justice James Omotoso to grant him more time to conclude the refund of public funds allegedly looted by him and his co- defendant, Felix Nweke....Click Here To Continue Reading>>

Nwabuoku and Nweke are facing 11 counts of money laundering to the tune of N1. 6 billion, according to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The defendants were accused of committing the crime while Nwabuoku served as the Director of Finance and Accounts in the Ministry of Defence between 2019 and 2021.
In a surprising twist, Nwabuoku’ s lawyer, Maduakolam Igwe, and Nweke’ s lawyer, Emeka Onyeaka, informed the court that their clients had made substantial refunds of the money traced to them by the anti- graft agency. Onyeaka revealed that Nweke had taken steps towards settling the matter and had made significant refunds, which the EFCC had acknowledged.

Igwe corroborated Onyeaka’ s submission, stating that Nwabuoku had also made refunds and written to the commission to tidy up the administrative procedure. The defense counsel prayed the court to grant them an adjournment to take further steps on the administrative procedure, arguing that arraignment would affect the trial.

However, EFCC counsel, Ogechi Ujam, countered that no negotiation, settlement, or agreement had been reached by parties, and urged the court to allow the arraignment to proceed.
Justice Omotosho adjourned the case until October 14 for arraignment, giving the defendants more time to conclude the refund process.
This development raises questions about the effectiveness of the EFCC’ s efforts to recover looted funds and the willingness of accused individuals to cooperate with the agency. The outcome of this case will be closely watched, as it may set a precedent for future cases involving public funds and corruption.
As the nation grapples with economic hardship and corruption, the public eagerly awaits the conclusion of this case and the fate of the defendants. Will they be held accountable for their alleged crimes, or will they be given a chance to redeem themselves through refund and settlement? Only time will tell…