A former Director of Finance and Administration at the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Garuba Mohammed Duku, has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for a N318 million fraud.
The Federal High Court in Abuja found Duku guilty on six counts of corruption and money laundering, brought against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Justice James Omotosho ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt, citing documentary evidence and witness testimonies. The court noted that Duku abused his office by manipulating fund release processes, violating financial regulations governing public sector transactions.
Duku was accused of diverting N318,250,000 belonging to AMMC into his personal Fidelity Bank account between 2012 and 2013.
The funds were released in several tranches, including N56.25 million, N71 million, N53 million, N54 million, N46 million, and N36.3 million, which were later converted through Bureau de Change operators for unauthorized purposes.
The court sentenced Duku to four years imprisonment on each of the six counts, with the option of a fine equivalent to five times the amount stated in each count, totaling about N1.6 billion. The jail terms are to run concurrently. The ICPC hailed the judgment as a significant victory in the fight against corruption in the public service.
