Ex-FCTA Director, Duku Bags 24-Year Jail Term for ₦318m Fraud
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Ex-FCTA Director, Duku Bags 24-Year Jail Term for ₦318m Fraud
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced a retired Director of Finance and Administration with the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Garuba Mohammed Duku, to 24 years imprisonment for corruption and money laundering involving ₦318 million.
The court, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, found the former Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) official guilty on a six-count charge of corruption and money laundering filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/608/2022.
According to ICPC investigations, Duku fraudulently diverted ₦318,250,000 belonging to AMMC into his personal account with Fidelity Bank Plc between 2012 and 2013.
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The anti-graft agency disclosed that the convict received multiple payments totalling the sum, including ₦56.25 million, ₦71 million, ₦53 million, ₦54 million, ₦46 million, and ₦36.3 million — which were later transferred to Bureau de Change operators and used for unauthorised transactions.
During the trial, the ICPC demonstrated how Duku manipulated the fund release and withdrawal process in violation of government financial regulations, leading to the fraudulent diversion.
The Commission further dismissed Duku’s claim that he had remitted the funds to his superiors, noting that no credible evidence was presented to back the assertion.
In his judgment, Justice Omotosho held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, and subsequently sentenced the defendant to four years imprisonment on each of the six counts, or an option of fine equivalent to five times the amount stated in each count — amounting to about ₦1.6 billion.
The sentences are to run concurrently.
In a statement issued on Thursday by its spokesperson, Demola Bakare, the Commission said the conviction reaffirms ICPC’s commitment to holding public officers accountable and ensuring that corruption within the public service is met with firm legal consequences.
“This conviction underscores ICPC’s unwavering resolve to ensure that those who betray public trust through corrupt practices are brought to justice in accordance with the law,” the statement read.
