Court Rejects Bail Request from Jailed Former Accountant-General

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has turned down the bail request from Chukwunyere Nwabuoku, the former Acting Accountant-General of the Federation. This decision comes as he awaits the outcome of his appeal against his conviction for laundering N868.5 million.

A three-member panel of judges at the appellate court issued the ruling on Friday. They stated that Mr Nwabuoku’s application did not have enough merit to be granted.

The lead judge, Adebukola Banjoko, supported the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which argued that the former accountant general did not prove sufficient reasons for his release after being convicted.

The EFCC shared the court’s decision in a statement on Friday, released by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale.

On 23 March, Judge James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced him to eight years in prison. He was found guilty of laundering N868.465 million.

Mr Nwabuoku served briefly as Acting Accountant General of the Federation in 2022. He took over after Ahmed Idris was suspended due to an EFCC investigation over alleged corruption.

His time in office lasted less than two months. He was removed after the EFCC began looking into separate claims of financial misconduct against him.

The EFCC prosecuted Mr Nwabuoku with an amended nine counts. They claimed he laundered public funds while acting as Director of Finance and Accounts at the Federal Ministry of Defence from 2019 to 2021.

After his conviction, Mr Nwabuoku filed an appeal and asked for bail on health grounds. He argued that his health had worsened while in custody and that he needed specialized treatment not available at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, which is where inmates from the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre are sent.

In the bail application submitted on 8 May through his lawyer, N.I. Quakers, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr Nwabuoku described himself as a responsible citizen. He said he was the former Acting Accountant General of the Federation.

He also assured the court that he had reliable sureties who would make sure he appears for all hearings if granted bail.

The EFCC opposed this application. Their lawyer, Ekele Iheanacho, also a SAN, filed a counter-affidavit on 25 May.

The anti-graft agency argued that the crimes Mr Nwabuoku was convicted of were serious. They involved significant public funds and affected the government’s ability to handle the country's security issues.

The EFCC also stated that there was no medical proof showing that the former accountant general could not continue receiving treatment at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital while serving his sentence. They noted that he had been taken to the hospital for medical checks, showing he was not denied medical care.

The EFCC added that granting bail while he appeals would harm public trust in the criminal justice system and hurt the nation’s fight against corruption and money laundering.

On Friday, Judge Banjoko, who read the lead ruling of the appeal court, confirmed that the application lacked merit and dismissed it. Mr Nwabuoku's main appeal against his conviction and sentence is still pending in the Court of Appeal.