Appeal court rejects ex-accountant-general Nwabuoku’s bail request in ₦868m fraud case

Anamekwe Nwabuoku, former acting accountant-general of the federation, has failed in his bid to secure bail pending the hearing of his appeal against his conviction over an ₦868.4 million fraud case.

The court of appeal in Abuja dismissed his application after finding no sufficient grounds to warrant his release from custody.

Nwabuoku was convicted in March by the Federal High Court in Abuja on nine counts bordering on money laundering and fraud.

The trial court sentenced him to eight years imprisonment on each count, amounting to 72 years, with the terms to run concurrently.

Following the conviction, he appealed the judgment and requested bail, arguing that his deteriorating health required specialised medical attention beyond what was available to inmates at the Kuje Correctional Centre.

However, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) opposed the application, maintaining that the former public official had continued to receive appropriate medical care through the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, the correctional facility’s designated referral hospital.

The anti-graft agency also argued that releasing Nwabuoku while his appeal is pending could weaken public confidence in the country’s anti-corruption campaign and send the wrong signal in cases involving the misuse of public funds.

In its ruling, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal held that the application lacked merit and consequently refused the request for bail.