Appeal Court rejects health-based bail plea by convicted ex-accountant-general

Appeal Court rejects health-based bail plea by convicted ex-accountant-general

By Florence Kalu

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has refused to grant bail to former Acting Accountant-General of the Federation, Chukwunyere Nwabuoku, ruling that he must remain in prison while awaiting the determination of his appeal against his conviction for laundering ₦868.5 million.

The appellate court dismissed the application on Friday, dealing another setback to the former government official, who is currently serving an eight-year prison sentence imposed by the Federal High Court after he was found guilty of diverting public funds.

In a unanimous decision delivered by Justice Adebukola Banjoko on behalf of a three-member panel, the court held that Nwabuoku failed to present sufficient grounds to justify his release pending the hearing of his appeal.

The ruling upheld the position of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which argued that the application lacked merit and should be dismissed.

Nwabuoku had approached the appellate court after filing an appeal against his conviction, asking to be released on bail on health grounds.

Through his lawyer, Senior Advocate of Nigeria N.I. Quakers, the former acting Accountant-General claimed his health had deteriorated in custody and that he required specialised medical care beyond what the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, the designated referral hospital for inmates of the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre, could provide.

He also assured the court that he would not abscond, describing himself as a responsible citizen with credible sureties willing to guarantee his appearance whenever required.

However, the EFCC, represented by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Ekele Iheanacho, opposed the request, insisting that the offences for which Nwabuoku was convicted were grave and involved the laundering of substantial public funds.

The anti-graft agency argued that prison authorities had not denied the former acting Accountant-General access to medical care, noting that he had already been referred to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital for evaluation and treatment whenever necessary.

It further contended that granting bail after conviction would undermine public confidence in the criminal justice system and weaken Nigeria’s anti-corruption drive.

Agreeing with the EFCC, the Court of Appeal held that Nwabuoku failed to establish exceptional circumstances warranting his release and consequently dismissed the application.

The former acting Accountant-General was convicted on March 23, 2026, by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, 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.

He briefly served as Acting Accountant-General of the Federation in 2022 following the suspension of Ahmed Idris, who was also under investigation by the EFCC. His appointment lasted less than two months before he was removed after the commission launched a separate investigation into allegations of financial misconduct against him.

Although his application for bail has now been dismissed, Nwabuoku’s substantive appeal challenging both his conviction and eight-year jail sentence remains pending before the Court of Appeal.