Ex-Abuja director faces jail unless he returns ₦1.6 billion
The FCT High Court sitting in Gwagwalada has convicted a former Director of Finance and Accounts at the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Ishaya Duku, ordering him to refund ₦1.6 billion to government coffers or face four years imprisonment.
Justice Idris Mohammed, who presided over the case, handed down the ruling after finding Duku guilty of fraudulently diverting public funds while serving in the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC).
According to the court, Duku must refund ₦1,592,750,000, the total amount established as misappropriated during his tenure. The judge held that failure to do so would result in a four-year prison sentence without the option of a fine.
Evidence presented by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) revealed that between 2012 and 2013, Duku received various large sums of money totalling ₦318,550,000, which were diverted into his personal Fidelity Bank account.
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The court detailed the specific transactions as follows: ₦56,250,000 paid on July 23, 2012; ₦71,000,000 in December 2012; ₦53,000,000 on December 7, 2012; another ₦54,000,000 later that same month; ₦46,000,000 on March 8, 2013; and ₦36,300,000 on March 21, 2013.
Justice Mohammed noted that although the total traced amount stood at ₦318.55 million, the court’s full refund order of ₦1.6 billion reflected cumulative proceeds and related transactions uncovered during investigation, including funds found in linked accounts and projects unaccounted for.
He ruled that Duku’s defence failed to provide a convincing explanation or documentary proof of legitimate disbursement of the funds, stressing that public officers are bound by law to demonstrate transparency in handling government resources.
“The court cannot overlook clear evidence of unlawful enrichment. The accused person, as a public officer, breached the trust reposed in him,” Justice Mohammed stated. “Accordingly, he is to refund the total sum of ₦1,592,750,000 or serve a term of four years in prison.”
The EFCC, which had arraigned Duku on charges bordering on criminal breach of trust, forgery, and diversion of public funds, applauded the judgement, describing it as another milestone in its fight against corruption within the civil service.
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Prosecution counsel maintained that the funds traced to Duku’s personal accounts were meant for public utility and community development projects under the AMMC, which never materialised.
Throughout the proceedings, Duku denied the allegations, insisting that the funds were legitimate disbursements authorised for official use. His counsel, however, pleaded for leniency, arguing that the defendant had rendered years of public service and had no prior criminal record.
Justice Mohammed declined the plea, holding that restitution was the only equitable remedy in the circumstances. The court also ordered that Duku’s properties traced to the diverted funds be forfeited to the federal government.
Delivering a post-verdict comment, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to pursuing cases of corruption irrespective of rank or office. “Public funds must be accounted for. This conviction reinforces the principle that no one is above the law,” he said.
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