The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured the conviction of Garuba Mohammed Duku, a retired Director of Finance and Administration at the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) under the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), for corruption and money laundering totaling ₦318 million.
The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, sentenced Duku to 24 years imprisonment after finding him guilty on all six counts of corruption and money laundering filed by the ICPC in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CR/608/2022.
Fraudulent Diversion of Public Funds
Investigations revealed that between 2012 and 2013, Duku diverted ₦318,250,000 belonging to AMMC into his personal Fidelity Bank account. The funds were received in several tranches — including ₦56.25 million, ₦71 million, ₦53 million, ₦54 million, ₦46 million, and ₦36.3 million — and subsequently transferred to Bureau de Change operators for unauthorized transactions.
According to the ICPC, Duku’s method of releasing and withdrawing funds breached government financial regulations. His claim that the money was distributed to his superiors was dismissed due to lack of evidence.
Court’s Verdict
Justice Omotosho ruled that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, establishing that the defendant abused his position for personal gain.
Duku was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment on each of the six counts, to run concurrently. Alternatively, he may pay a fine equivalent to five times the amount involved in each count, amounting to roughly ₦1.6 billion.
ICPC’s Reaction
The ICPC described the ruling as a reaffirmation of its commitment to ensuring accountability and transparency in public service. The Commission emphasized that no public officer who betrays public trust will go unpunished.
Broader Anti-Corruption Drive
This conviction adds to a growing list of successful ICPC prosecutions. Recently, the Commission charged two Rural Electrification Agency (REA) staff members — Umar Musa Karaye and Emmanuel Titus — over an alleged ₦426 million project supervision fraud.
Similarly, Emmanuel Ogunyemi, a Lagos civil servant, was convicted for drawing double salaries from two government entities totaling ₦3.49 million, while Adam Imam Yusuf, a Deputy Commandant of the NSCDC, and Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin (rtd.), a former Chief of Naval Staff, were also arrested earlier this year for allegedly diverting over ₦3 billion in public funds.
The ICPC reaffirmed that such cases underscore its zero-tolerance stance on corruption and its determination to protect public resources from abuse.
Emmanuel Bassey is a Financial Expert that has worked in the Banking and Finance Industry for over 15+ years across different banks in Nigeria
