The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured the conviction of Mr. Garuba Duku, a retired Director of Finance and Administration at the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) under the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), who was sentenced to 24 years in prison for his involvement in a ₦318 million fraud.
In a statement issued on Thursday, October 8, 2025, the Director of Public Enlightenment and Education at the ICPC, Mr. Demola Bakare, said the judgment was delivered by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/608/2020.
According to the ICPC, investigations revealed that between 2012 and 2013, Duku fraudulently diverted ₦318,250,000 belonging to AMMC into his personal account with Fidelity Bank Plc.
The funds, received in several instalments — ₦56.25 million, ₦71 million, ₦53 million, ₦54 million, ₦46 million, and ₦36.3 million — were later transferred to Bureau de Change operators for unauthorized purposes.
Prosecutors told the court that the transactions violated government financial regulations and constituted a clear abuse of public trust. Duku, however, claimed that he had handed the funds over to his superiors, a claim the court dismissed for lack of evidence.
Delivering judgment, Justice Omotosho ruled that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, describing the ICPC’s evidence as credible, consistent, and sufficient to establish guilt.
The judge consequently 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 — totalling about ₦1.6 billion. The sentences are to run concurrently.
Reacting to the ruling, ICPC spokesperson Bakare described the conviction as a major milestone in the Commission’s anti-corruption drive.
“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.
Bakare reaffirmed the Commission’s resolve to continue pursuing corruption cases diligently and professionally to safeguard public resources.