A witness in the ongoing trial of the former Acting Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Chukwunyere Anamekwe Nwabuoku, has provided key revelations on how the ex-AGF allegedly orchestrated a scheme involving multiple bank accounts to siphon public funds.
According to reports, Anamekwe is currently facing trial over an amended nine-count charge of money laundering totaling ₦868,465,000, which has been filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
During the court proceedings held on Friday, the EFCC presented its first prosecution witness (PW1), Eucharia Ezeobi, who is an employee of Zenith Bank. She testified before Justice James Omotosho, shedding light on the financial transactions linked to the case.
Ezeobi informed the court that she was responsible for opening four company accounts that were used for transactions involving contractors working with the Federal Ministry of Defence. The companies in question include Temeeo Synergy Concept Limited, Turge Global Investment Limited, Laptev Bridge Limited, and Arafura Transnational Afro Limited.
While being led in evidence by the EFCC’s legal representative, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Ekene Iheanacho, Ezeobi disclosed that a significant portion of the withdrawals from these accounts was done in cash. She further testified that the defendant, Anamekwe, directly benefited from these transactions. The court admitted the account-opening documents as evidence, marking them as Exhibits PWB, as ruled by Justice Omotosho.
The EFCC also presented a second witness (PW2), Felix Nweke, who introduced himself as a director at the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation. He previously served as the Deputy Director of Finance at the Federal Ministry of Defence from 2018 to 2020.
Nweke provided additional insights into the case, stating that he worked under Anamekwe and was responsible for assisting in processing financial payments. According to his testimony, the defendant instructed him to open multiple company accounts to facilitate access to funds. In response to this directive, Nweke reached out to Gideon Joseph, a resource person at the ministry, who was tasked with coordinating the account openings at Zenith Bank.
He further detailed his interactions with Ezeobi at the bank, explaining how she played a pivotal role in setting up the accounts. Nweke also stated that he frequently received instructions from Anamekwe to either raise funds or transfer money to designated recipients, which he consistently followed.
During cross-examination, Nweke acknowledged that government funding for the ministry is determined by the Appropriation Bill, which is signed into law by the President. While he clarified that Anamekwe was not an official approving officer within the ministry, he emphasized that the former AGF played a key role in conveying approvals for fund disbursements.