By Onyeanya Ebere Immaculata
A Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted a former Director of Administration and Finance at the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Garba Mohammed Duku, and sentenced him to four years imprisonment unless he refunds ₦1.6 billion to the Federal Government.
Justice James Omotosho delivered the judgment on Friday after finding Duku guilty on a six-count charge of corruption and money laundering filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The offences were said to have been committed between 2012 and 2013, shortly before his retirement in 2014.
The court found that Duku illegally diverted ₦318.55 million from AMMC accounts into his personal Fidelity Bank account, which was opened in 2011 and became inactive after his retirement.
The illicit transfers included ₦56.25 million, ₦71 million, ₦53 million, ₦54 million, ₦46 million, and ₦36.3 million between July 2012 and March 2013.
Justice Omotosho held that Duku could not justify the payments or prove that the funds were used for official purposes.
The court noted that he made several large cash withdrawals and converted part of the money to U.S. dollars through bureau de change operators – actions the judge described as having a “sinister motive.”
The judge dismissed Duku’s claim that he handed the money over to his superiors, noting that he provided no evidence to substantiate the assertion.
Witnesses for the prosecution also testified that they were directed to issue certificates for uninspected projects, a claim Duku failed to refute.
In his defence, Duku argued that the funds were legitimately appropriated. However, the court ruled that public funds, even when budgeted, must be traceably and lawfully spent.
Justice Omotosho held that the ICPC had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt through three witnesses, while the defence relied solely on Duku’s testimony.
Duku was convicted on all six counts and sentenced to four years imprisonment on each count, to run concurrently, with an option of fine equivalent to five times the amount stated in each charge.
The court also ordered him to refund the total sum of ₦1.6 billion broken down as follows:₦355 million (Count One), ₦230 million (Count Two), ₦270 million (Count Three), ₦266.25 million (Count Four), ₦280 million (Count Five) and ₦191.5 million (Count Six).
During plea for leniency (allocutus), Duku claimed memory lapses due to the time elapsed since the offences, but the court rejected the plea and upheld the sentence.
