A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Garuba Mohammed Duku, a retired Director of Finance and Administration at the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) under the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), to 24 years in prison for corruption and money laundering involving ₦318 million.
Justice James Omotosho delivered the judgment after Duku was found guilty on six counts of corruption and money laundering brought against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
According to ICPC spokesperson Demola Bakare, investigations revealed that between 2012 and 2013, Duku diverted ₦318,250,000 belonging to AMMC into his personal Fidelity Bank account.
The illicit transfers reportedly included multiple payments of ₦56.25 million, ₦71 million, ₦53 million, ₦54 million, ₦46 million, and ₦36.3 million.
Bakare added that the funds were later funneled through Bureau de Change operators and spent for unauthorized purposes.
During the trial, the ICPC proved that Duku’s methods of fund release and withdrawal breached government financial regulations.
The commission also dismissed his defense that the money was disbursed to his superiors, as no evidence supported the claim.
In his ruling, Justice Omotosho held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. He subsequently sentenced Duku to four years imprisonment on each count, to run concurrently.
Alternatively, Duku may pay a fine equivalent to five times the amount in each count, totaling about ₦1.6 billion.
The ICPC described the conviction as a testament to its commitment to ensuring accountability among public officials and upholding integrity within the public service.