RismadarVoice Reporters
February 3, 2026
Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, has fixed April 30, 2026, for ruling on an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking the final forfeiture of a property allegedly owned by a former Acting Accountant-General of the Federation, Chukwunyere Anamekwe Nwabuoku.
Justice Mohammed Umar adjourned the matter to the date after hearing arguments from both the prosecution and defence at Tuesday’s proceedings.
During the hearing, defence counsel, N.I. Quakers, SAN, informed the court of two applications filed on behalf of the respondent—one seeking to set aside the interim forfeiture order granted on January 27, 2025, and another being a notice of preliminary objection dated August 15, 2025, challenging the jurisdiction of the court.
Quakers urged the court to dismiss the EFCC’s application for final forfeiture, arguing that the property in question is already a subject of a criminal trial pending before another court. He contended that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the forfeiture application and prayed that it be struck out.
In response, prosecution counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, drew the court’s attention to a motion dated May 6, 2024, seeking the final forfeiture of the property. He submitted that the property was reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of crime.
According to Iheanacho, the application is supported by an eight-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Chinyelu Vivian Okpara, an EFCC operative, with documentary exhibits marked EFCC 1 to EFCC 7.
Explaining the prosecution’s case, Iheanacho told the court that Nwabuoku, at the time of the transactions, was Director of Finance at the Ministry of Defence, where funds meant strictly for military operations against Boko Haram were allegedly diverted.
“My lord, part of these funds, amounting to about ₦900 million, was diverted through fictitious accounts. From that sum, about ₦355 million went to the respondent through an account he nominated, belonging to M Davies Enterprises Ltd, and it was from that account that the property in question was purchased,” he said.
The prosecution further alleged that the property is the residence currently occupied by the defendant and that during investigations, Nwabuoku voluntarily handed over the keys to the property and refunded part of the funds, only to later challenge the forfeiture proceedings.
Iheanacho also informed the court of a further affidavit filed on May 16, 2024, urging the court to grant the EFCC’s application for final forfeiture.
Justice Umar thereafter adjourned the matter till April 30, 2026, for ruling on the applications and judgment.
Meanwhile, the EFCC is also prosecuting Nwabuoku before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on an amended nine-count charge of money laundering involving the alleged sum of ₦868,465,000.
