Appeal Court Denies Bail to Ex-FCTA Director for Fraud

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has refused the bail application of Garba Mohammed Dukku, a retired Director of Finance and Administration with the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) under the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA). Dukku was convicted and sentenced to 24 years in prison for diverting approximately N319 million in public funds.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) spokesperson, John Odey, stated that Dukku sought bail pending his appeal against the Federal High Court's judgment, which was presided over by Justice James Omotosho. The court ruled that Dukku failed to demonstrate any exceptional circumstances to warrant bail.

However, the court granted an accelerated hearing for his substantive appeal to ensure a swift resolution. The ICPC established that between 2012 and 2013, Dukku fraudulently transferred N318,250,000 from the AMMC into his personal account at Fidelity Bank in various amounts, which were later moved to Bureau de Change operators for unauthorized uses.