At the resumed proceedings, counsel for the former Acting Attorney General of the Federation, N.I. Quakers, SAN, informed the court that the defence had filed two applications.
The Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, has fixed April 30, 2026, to deliver its ruling on an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking the final forfeiture of a property linked to the former Acting Accountant General of the Federation, Chukwunyere Anamekwe Nwabuoku.
Justice Mohammed Umar adjourned the matter on Tuesday after hearing arguments from both the defence and the prosecution on the EFCC’s application for final forfeiture, as well as preliminary objections raised by the respondent.
At the resumed proceedings, counsel for the former Acting Attorney General of the Federation, N.I. Quakers, SAN, informed the court that the defence had filed two applications.
He explained that the first application sought to set aside the interim forfeiture order issued by the court on January 27, 2025, while the second was a notice of preliminary objection, dated August 15, 2025, challenging the court’s jurisdiction to hear the matter.
Quakers urged the court to dismiss the EFCC’s application for final forfeiture, contending that the property in question was already the subject of a criminal charge pending before another court.
He contended that proceeding with the forfeiture application amounted to an abuse of court process and questioned the competence of the court to hear the matter, asking that the EFCC’s application be struck out.
Responding, prosecution counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, drew the court’s attention to a motion dated May 6, 2024, and filed on the same day, seeking the final forfeiture of the property.
He submitted that the property was reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of crime.
The prosecution explained that the application was supported by an eight-paragraph affidavit deposed to by an EFCC operative, Chinyelu Vivian Okpara, with documentary evidence attached and marked as Exhibits EFCC 1 to EFCC 7.
Relying on the affidavit and its exhibits, Iheanacho urged the court to grant the order of final forfeiture.
Giving further details, the prosecuting counsel said, “My lord, the respondent at the material time of these transactions was the Director of Finance in the Ministry of Defence.
“Funds were released strictly for military operations in fighting Boko Haram, of which part of it was sent to the Ministry of Defence. Part of the funds were diverted using fictitious accounts up to the tune of N900 million.”
He added, “My lord, from that funds, about N355 million went to the respondent and it was sent through an account he nominated, belonging to his friend, M Davies Enterprises Ltd and it was from that account that the property in question was purchased and it is that property the defendant is currently living in.”
According to the prosecution, Nwabuoku had voluntarily handed over the keys to the property during the investigation and also refunded part of the allegedly diverted funds, only to later challenge the forfeiture when court proceedings commenced.
“We urge the court to grant the application,” Iheanacho said, noting that a further affidavit was also filed on May 16, 2024.
After listening to submissions from both sides, Justice Umar adjourned the matter to April 30, 2026, for ruling on the applications and final judgment.
Meanwhile, the EFCC is also prosecuting Nwabuoku before another Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, on an amended nine-count charge of money laundering involving the sum of N868,465,000.