A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a retired Director of Finance and Administration with the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Garuba Mohammed Duku, to 24 years in prison for diverting ₦318 million belonging to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).
374 VIOLATORS TO PAY N5m PENALTY, GET FRESH C-OF-O UPON PAYMENT OF NECESSARY FEES SEE LIST HERE
The conviction followed a six-count charge of corruption and money laundering filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). Justice James Omotosho found Duku guilty after a detailed trial in which the anti-graft agency proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
374 VIOLATORS TO PAY N5m PENALTY, GET FRESH C-OF-O UPON PAYMENT OF NECESSARY FEES SEE LIST HERE
Investigations by the ICPC revealed that between 2012 and 2013, Duku illegally transferred ₦318,250,000 from AMMC accounts into his personal Fidelity Bank account. The funds were reportedly received through several payments, including ₦56.25 million, ₦71 million, ₦53 million, ₦54 million, ₦46 million, and ₦36.3 million, which he later channelled through Bureau de Change operators for unauthorised transactions.
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374 VIOLATORS TO PAY N5m PENALTY, GET FRESH C-OF-O UPON PAYMENT OF NECESSARY FEES SEE LIST HERE
During the proceedings, the Commission demonstrated that Duku’s method of fund release and withdrawals violated government financial regulations. His defence that the money was given to his superiors was dismissed, as no evidence supported his claim.
In his ruling, Justice Omotosho held that the ICPC’s witnesses and documentary evidence established the fraud clearly. The court sentenced Duku to four years’ imprisonment on each of the six charges, to run concurrently, or an alternative fine totalling about ₦1.6 billion — five times the amount stated in each count.
The ICPC described the judgment as another step in its mission to ensure accountability and punish corruption in public service. The Commission reaffirmed that those entrusted with public funds would face justice if found guilty of betraying that trust.
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