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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.
In a statement issued on Thursday, October 8, 2025, the ICPC’s Director of Public Enlightenment and Education, Mr. Demola Bakare, said the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja and presided over by Justice James Omotosho found Duku guilty on a six-count charge bordering on corruption and money laundering. The charges were brought against him by the ICPC in suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/608/2022.
According to the commission’s investigation, between 2012 and 2013, Duku fraudulently diverted ₦318,250,000 belonging to AMMC into his personal account with Fidelity Bank Plc.
“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 — and later transferred to Bureau de Change operators for unauthorized purposes,” the statement read in part.
ICPC prosecutors told the court that the transactions violated government financial regulations and constituted “a clear abuse of public trust.”
During the trial, Duku claimed that the funds were handed over to his superiors, but the court dismissed the defense for lack of evidence.
In his ruling, Justice Omotosho held that “the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt,” noting that the evidence presented by the ICPC was “credible, consistent, and sufficient to establish the offences charged.”
Consequently, the judge sentenced Duku to four years’ imprisonment on each of the six counts, or an 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 judgment, Bakare described the conviction as a major victory in the commission’s 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,” he said.
“No one entrusted with public funds is above the law, and this conviction sends a strong message that corruption will not go unpunished.”
Bakare added that the commission would continue to pursue all cases of graft with diligence and professionalism to safeguard public resources.
