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Retired FCTA Director Sentenced to 24 Years for ₦318 Million Fraud

Published by admin on October 9th, 2025.

Retired FCTA Director Sentenced to 24 Years for ₦318 Million Fraud

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured a major conviction in the fight against corruption, as a former Director of Finance and Administration at the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Mr. Garuba Mohammed Duku, has been sentenced to 24 years in prison over a ₦318 million fraud case.

The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, found Mr. Duku guilty on six counts related to corruption and money laundering, in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CR/608/2022. The charges were brought forward following a detailed investigation by the ICPC.

According to the Commission, between 2012 and 2013, Mr. Duku unlawfully redirected a total of ₦318,250,000 belonging to the AMMC into his personal Fidelity Bank account. The probe revealed multiple suspicious payments—₦56.25 million, ₦71 million, ₦53 million, ₦54 million, ₦46 million, and ₦36.3 million—which were later funneled through Bureau de Change operators and used for unapproved purposes.

ICPC presented evidence in court showing that Mr. Duku’s financial transactions were in clear breach of government financial procedures. His defense, claiming that the funds were handed over to higher-ranking officials, was dismissed due to lack of credible proof.

In his ruling, Justice Omotosho declared that the prosecution had successfully established Mr. Duku’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The court handed down four years of imprisonment for each of the six charges, to run concurrently. Additionally, an option of fine was imposed—five times the amount involved in each count—bringing the total possible fine to approximately ₦1.6 billion.

This landmark conviction reflects ICPC’s ongoing resolve to pursue and prosecute public officials who misuse their positions for personal gain, reinforcing the principle that no one is above the law.