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Ex-FCTA director sentenced to 24 years imprisonment for N318m fraud

Published

2 months ago

October 9, 2025

Mr Garuba Duku

Ex-FCTA director sentenced to 24 years imprisonment for N318m fraud

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has secured a 24-year jail term for Mr Garuba Duku, a retired Director of Finance and Administration with the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council under the Federal Capital Territory Administration, over a N318 million fraud.

The Director of Public Enlightenment and Education of the commission, Mr Demola Bakare, who made this known in a statement on Thursday, October 8, 2025 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, brought against him by the ICPC in suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/608/2022

“According to ICPC investigations, between 2012 and 2013, Duku fraudulently diverted ₦318,250,000 belonging to AMMC into his personal account with Fidelity Bank Plc,” the statement partly read.

“The court heard that the funds were received in several instalments — N56.25 million, N71 million, N53 million, N54 million, N46 million, and N36.3 million — and later transferred to Bureau de Change operators for unauthorized purposes.

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“ICPC prosecutors told the court that the transactions violated government financial regulations and that Duku’s actions were “a clear abuse of public trust.”

The statement further said that during the trial, Duku had claimed that the funds were handed over to his superiors, but the court dismissed the claim for lack of evidence.

In his ruling, Omotosho held that “The prosecution proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt”, adding 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 fine equivalent to five times the amount involved in each count — amounting to about ₦1.6 billion. The sentences are to run concurrently,”, it added.

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,” 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.”

Bakare added that the commission would continue to pursue all cases of graft with diligence and professionalism to safeguard public resource.

Ex-FCTA director sentenced to 24 years imprisonment for N318m fraud

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Court Sends Chris Ngige to Kuje Prison on EFCC’s N2.2bn Fraud Charges

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A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Gwarinpa has ordered the remand of former Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, in Kuje prison pending the hearing of his bail application.

Justice Maryam Hassan issued the order on Friday after Ngige pleaded not guilty to an eight-count charge filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

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The former minister, who served from November 11, 2015, to May 29, 2023, is being prosecuted for his alleged role in a N2.2 billion contract fraud. The charges include abuse of office and accusations that he received kickbacks from companies that secured contracts from the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).

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Supreme Court Reinstates Death Sentence for Maryam Sanda Despite Tinubu’s Pardon

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has reaffirmed the death sentence imposed on Maryam Sanda, daughter-in-law of a former PDP chairman, for the culpable homicide of her husband, Bilyamin Bello, in 2017.

Sanda was convicted by an Abuja High Court on January 27, 2020, and sentenced to death by hanging after being found guilty of stabbing her husband to death at their Abuja residence. She had spent six years and eight months in Suleja prison before President Bola Tinubu reduced her punishment to 12 years under the recent presidential pardon initiative.

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According to the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, the clemency was granted on “compassionate grounds” and in the “best interest of the children,” noting Sanda’s good conduct, reformed behaviour, and remorse during incarceration.

However, in a split decision of four to one, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court on Friday overturned the executive intervention and reaffirmed the original death sentence. Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Moore Adumein ruled that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

The apex court upheld the earlier decisions of both the trial court and the Court of Appeal, describing them as sound and unassailable. It further held that President Tinubu lacked the constitutional authority to issue a pardon in a homicide case that was still under judicial review.

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Supreme Court Reinstates Death Sentence for Maryam Sanda Despite Tinubu’s Pardon

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Mother, 10-Month-Old Baby Murdered in Katsina Over Alleged Paternity Dispute

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Mother, 10-Month-Old Baby Murdered in Katsina Over Alleged Paternity Dispute

A woman and her 10-month-old baby have been found murdered in Sheme village, Faskari Local Government Area, Katsina State, in what authorities believe was linked to a paternity dispute.

The Katsina State Police Command confirmed that detectives are investigating the incident. In a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, said 35-year-old Sahabi Rabi’u has been arrested in connection with the killings, while a second suspect remains at large.

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Aliyu explained: “During interrogation, the suspect confessed to the crime and admitted conspiring with a friend, now at large, to lure the victims to the outskirts of Sheme village, where they were killed. The bodies were burnt and thrown into a nearby well.”

Investigations revealed that the murder stemmed from a paternity disagreement, which escalated into a brutal killing. The bodies have been recovered, and the suspect is currently in police custody. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing accomplice.

Katsina State Commissioner of Police, Bello Shehu, condemned the killings as “barbaric and inhumane,” assuring that justice will be served. He appealed to members of the public to provide information that could assist in capturing the second suspect, with guarantees of confidentiality.