Appeal Court Refuses Bail For Former Acting Accountant-General Convicted Of N868.5m Fraud
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed the bail application filed by former Acting Accountant-General of the Federation, Chukwunyere Nwabuoku, who is serving an eight-year prison sentence for laundering ₦868.5 million.
A three-member panel of the appellate court ruled that Nwabuoku failed to present sufficient grounds to justify his release pending the determination of his appeal against his conviction.
The ruling, delivered by Justice Adebukola Banjoko on behalf of the panel, upheld the objection of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which argued that the application lacked merit.
Nwabuoku was convicted on March 23, 2026, by the Federal High Court in Abuja after being found guilty of laundering ₦868.465 million while serving as Director of Finance and Accounts at the Federal Ministry of Defence between 2019 and 2021.
The former public official briefly served as Acting Accountant-General of the Federation in 2022 following the suspension of Ahmed Idris.
However, his tenure lasted less than two months before he was removed from office after the EFCC launched a separate investigation into allegations of financial misconduct against him.
Following his conviction, Nwabuoku appealed the judgment and sought bail on health grounds, arguing that his medical condition had deteriorated in custody and that he required specialist treatment beyond what was available at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, the designated medical facility for inmates of the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre.
Through his counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) N.I. Quakers, he also assured the court that he had reliable sureties who would guarantee his appearance whenever required if granted bail.
The EFCC opposed the application, insisting that the offences for which he was convicted were grave and involved the diversion of substantial public funds.
The commission further argued that there was no credible medical evidence showing that he could not continue receiving adequate treatment while in custody.
According to the anti-graft agency, correctional authorities had already facilitated his transfer to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital for medical evaluation, demonstrating that he had access to appropriate healthcare.
The commission also contended that granting bail pending appeal would undermine public confidence in the administration of justice and weaken Nigeria’s anti-corruption campaign.
In dismissing the application, the Court of Appeal held that Nwabuoku’s request lacked merit.
His substantive appeal challenging both his conviction and eight-year prison sentence remains pending before the appellate court.
















