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The Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, has heard how Chukwunyere Nwabuoku, a former Acting Accountant General Federation, allegedly regulates the transfer of more than ₦ 868 million from the Federal Defense Ministry using fictitious companies and cash transaction networks.
At the hearing that was continued on Thursday, Gudi Johnson, an investigator with independent corruption practices and other related violation commissions (ICPC), gave a detailed account before judge James Omotosho. Johnson, who emerged as a witness to the ninth prosecution (PW9), described how Nwabuoku, while serving as Director of Finance and Account in the Ministry, allegedly directed the withdrawal and movement of large amounts of money through various front companies.
According to Monday’s statement by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), which demanded the case, Johnson revealed that the ICPC launched an investigation after receiving intelligence from the Ministry of Defense about suspicious financial transactions involving companies such as Trans Afro Limited, Torch Global Limited, and Teemell Limited.
“We found that a Gideon Joseph was registered as a director in these companies. The address was Louis Street, Maitama and Kubwa. We invited him to answer what business he did. All letters could not be conveyed, so we used the Ministry of Defense,” Johnson testified.
The investigation brought ICPC to the Director of Account in the Ministry, identified only as Mr. Felix, who claimed he acted based on Nwabuoku’s instructions.
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“Other people were called and they said they were ordered to withdraw the money they received into the Teemell, Touch Global and Transactional Afro NIG account. Ltd.” Johnson said.
When called to be questioned, Nwabuoku reportedly told investigators that the funds were intended for national security operations classified, but refused to provide further details.
This encourages ICPC to improve this case to the National Security Advisory Office (ONSA), where multi-agency investigations are formed.
“A committee was established including General Monguno, Professor of Bolaji Owasanoye, myself, Bellozi Adama from EFCC and others. We are told to investigate this problem,” explained Johnson.
During the interrogation, Johnson told, Nwabuoku initially admitted that only ₦ 100 million funds were his. However, the next tracking and forensic analysis revealed that the much greater amount was channeled through its proxy account.
“As soon as the funds are kept into the ministry’s account, it was diverted and withdrawn by Gideon Joseph. The cash withdrawn will be stored by Gideon into the M. Daddy’s Ltd account,” Johnson said.
Another witness, Jerry Nwachukwu, also confirmed the movement of ₦ 355 million to M. Daddy’s Ltd on the orders of Nwabuoku. Researchers further found that ₦ 150 million was transferred from the account to Quantum Zenith Ltd.
The additional financial routes found include ₦ 13 million allegedly paid to El Salen Ltd for a property, and ₦ 10 million reportedly used to buy a generator.
“We got notes from the city gate house that showed N65 million property related to the defendant. We told him that this was the result of crime that had to be restored. We examined the house in City Gates Homes and confiscated the keys,” Johnson testified.
When the prosecutor tried to verify the declaration of the Nwabuoku asset, the Code Bureau confirmed that there was no record of the property.
“We wrote to the Code of Ethics Bureau and they said there was no information about his assets,” Johnson told the court.
Some of the main documents are included in the evidence, including correspondence from the National Security Advisory Office (dated 18 and 20 January 2022), Remita payment records, responses from the Code of Ethics Bureau, and bank records from Zenith and Bank Access.
Judge Omotosho postponed this case until 22 and 23 May 2025, for the continuation of the trial.
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