Court Jails Ex-FCTA Director 24 Years for ₦318m Fraud

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured a 24-year jail term for Mr. Garuba Duku, a retired Director of Finance and Administration with the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) under the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), over a ₦318 million fraud.

The conviction was confirmed in a statement issued on Thursday by the ICPC’s Director of Public Enlightenment and Education, Mr. Demola Bakare.

According to the ICPC, the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, found Duku guilty on a six-count charge bordering on corruption and money laundering in suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/608/2022.

“According to ICPC investigations, between 2012 and 2013, Duku fraudulently diverted ₦318,250,000 belonging to AMMC into his personal account with Fidelity Bank Plc,” the statement said.

The court heard that the funds were received in several instalments, ₦56.25 million, ₦71 million, ₦53 million, ₦54 million, ₦46 million, and ₦36.3 million, which were later transferred to Bureau de Change operators for unauthorized transactions.

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ICPC prosecutors argued that Duku’s actions violated government financial regulations and amounted to a clear abuse of public trust.

During the trial, Duku claimed that the money was handed over to his superiors, but the court dismissed the claim for lack of credible evidence.

In his ruling, Justice Omotosho held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, adding that the evidence presented by ICPC was consistent and credible.

“The prosecution proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt. The evidence presented was credible, consistent, and sufficient to establish the offences charged,” the judge ruled.

Consequently, the court sentenced Duku to four years’ imprisonment on each of the six counts, with the option of a fine equivalent to five times the amount involved in each count, totaling about ₦1.6 billion. The sentences are to run concurrently.

Reacting to the verdict, ICPC spokesperson Demola Bakare described the judgment as a major victory in the commission’s ongoing fight against corruption.

“This judgment underscores ICPC’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that public officers who betray the trust reposed in them are brought to justice,” Bakare said.

“No one entrusted with public funds is above the law, and this conviction sends a strong message that corruption will not go unpunished.”

He added that the commission would continue to pursue all cases of graft diligently and professionally to safeguard public resources.

The latest conviction adds to the ICPC’s growing list of successful prosecutions.

In May 2024, the agency secured the conviction of a Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps Commandant, Christopher Oluchukwu, for defrauding job seekers.

Similarly, in May 2019, a former nominee to the ICPC board, Dr. Saad Alanamu, and Salman Sulaiman were both sentenced to 24 years’ imprisonment for collecting and giving bribes.

The ICPC, established in 2000, continues to be one of Nigeria’s foremost anti-corruption agencies, with a mandate to investigate, prevent, and prosecute corruption and financial misconduct under the ICPC Act and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act.