News
Appeal Court Refuses Bail For Ex-FCTA Director Jailed For N319M Fraud In The ICPC Case
Appeal Court Refuses Bail For Ex-FCTA Director Jailed For N319M Fraud In The ICPC Case
The Court of Appeal, Abuja, has refused the application for bail pending appeal filed by Mr. Garba Mohammed Dukku, a retired Director of Finance and Administration with the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) under the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), who was convicted and sentenced to 24 years’ imprisonment for the diversion of public funds amounting to approximately N319 million.
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Mr. Dukku had approached the Court of Appeal seeking to be admitted to bail pending the determination of his appeal against the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which sentenced him to a total of 24 years imprisonment for corruption and money laundering offences.
In its ruling, the Court of Appeal held that the Appellant/Applicant failed to show any exceptional circumstance to warrant the exercise of the Court’s discretion in granting bail pending appeal. The Court consequently refused the application.
The Court, however, granted an accelerated hearing of the substantive appeal in order to ensure the expeditious determination of the matter.
Mr. Dukku was convicted by the Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by Honourable Justice James Omotosho, on six counts bordering on corruption and money laundering in charge number FHC/ABJ/CR/608/2022.
The ICPC had established during trial that between 2012 and 2013, Mr. Dukku fraudulently diverted a total sum of N318,250,000 belonging to the AMMC into his personal Fidelity Bank account in various tranches, including N56.25 million, N71 million, N53 million, N54 million, N46 million, and N36.3 million.
The Commission further proved that the diverted funds were subsequently transferred to Bureau de Change operators for unauthorized purposes.
Although Mr. Dukku claimed during trial that the funds were handed over to his superiors, the Federal High Court dismissed the defence for lack of credible evidence and held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
Justice Omotosho consequently sentenced the convict to four years’ imprisonment on each of the six counts, amounting to a total jail term of 24 years. The Court also imposed an option of fine equivalent to five times the amount involved in each count, totaling approximately N1.6 billion.
The ICPC welcomes the decision of the Court of Appeal refusing bail pending appeal and views it as a reaffirmation of the principle that applications for such relief must be supported by exceptional and compelling circumstances.

Appeal Court
The Commission remains resolute in its commitment to the diligent prosecution of corruption cases and the protection of public resources from abuse and misappropriation.
J. Okor Odey
Head, Media and Public Communications, ICPC
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News
Tinubu Government Disburses ₦38.93bn to Tertiary Institutions
Tinubu Government Disburses ₦38.93bn to Tertiary Institutions
The Federal Government has disbursed ₦38.93 billion to 166 public tertiary institutions nationwide under the Needs Assessment Revitalisation Fund.
Eereporter.com
The disbursement covers 79 universities, 46 polytechnics and 41 colleges of education to support approved projects aimed at addressing infrastructure gaps and improving teaching and learning facilities across the institutions.
The university component accounts for ₦28.5 billion for 79 institutions, while 46 polytechnics have allocations totalling ₦5.8 billion. The 41 colleges of education are allocated ₦4.7 billion.
The intervention forms part of the Federal Government’s efforts to address the needs of public universities and support the implementation of agreed measures under the Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The funds are expected to enable beneficiary institutions to commence or advance approved projects addressing critical infrastructure and other identified institutional needs, with the overall objective of strengthening the quality of tertiary education in Nigeria.

President Tinubu
The disbursement underscores the importance of effective coordination between the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Federal Ministry of Education and beneficiary institutions in ensuring that approved public funding translates into tangible improvements in educational infrastructure and institutional capacity.
For further information on the beneficiary institutions and their respective allocations, members of the public are advised to visit the official website of the Federal Ministry of Finance at https://www.finance.gov.ng/.
Efe Ovuakporie
Head of Media
Federal Ministry of Finance
25th October, 2026
Eereporter.com
News
Infrastructure Development: Some Nigerians Need Eyeglasses to See My Husband’s Achievements, Says Remi Tinubu
Infrastructure Development: Some Nigerians Need Eyeglasses to See My Husband’s Achievements, Says Remi Tinubu
According to Oluremi, the country is making progress, but some Nigerians have apparently failed to notice the developments.
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Senator Oluremi, President Bola Tinubu’s wife, has said Nigerians who fail to recognise the achievements of the current administration may need “eyeglasses” to see the changes taking place in the country.
Mrs Tinubu made the remark while inaugurating the Abuja headquarters of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, a grassroots mobilisation group campaigning for the President’s re-election in 2027.
According to Oluremi, the country is making progress, but some Nigerians have apparently failed to notice the developments.
“So things are happening in Nigeria, except, you know, those who don’t see; maybe we’ll give them some, you know, Bola Tinubu eyeglasses. We are doing that, JigiBola,” she said.
Mrs Tinubu referred to the Jigi-Bola eye-care initiative, introduced by her husband during his tenure as governor of Lagos State in 2001.
The programme provided eye screenings, eyeglasses and surgery, and was relaunched by the Lagos State Government in 2021.
She cited developments at Nigerian airports as evidence of progress under the current administration.
“I want to get to the airport. I want to travel, you know, so quickly. And you can see our airports too are changing,” she said.
She also expressed the hope that Nigeria would become a country she could enjoy after leaving the Presidential Villa in 2031.
“I want to leave Aso Rock, in 2031, by the grace of God, and enter a Nigeria that me as a 70-something-year-old woman will enjoy,” she said.
Her remarks came amid preparations for the 2027 general elections, with the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement mobilising support for President Tinubu’s anticipated re-election bid.
Mrs Tinubu subsequently commissioned the group’s Abuja headquarters and expressed confidence in her husband’s electoral prospects.

Remi Tinubu
Oluremi’s comments come as the administration continues to face public debate over its economic reforms, the cost of living and the extent to which Nigerians are experiencing improvements in their daily lives.
While the government has pointed to infrastructure projects and economic policy changes as signs of progress, many Nigerians continue to express concerns about household expenses and living conditions.
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News
Nigeria Customs Sets to Host CGC’S Conference, C-PACT 2026 to Advance Border Security, African Trade Integration
Nigeria Customs Sets to Host CGC’S Conference, C-PACT 2026 to Advance Border Security, African Trade Integration
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is set to host the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Conference from 7 to 8 December 2026 and the Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) 2026 Conference from 9 to 11 December 2026 in Abuja, as part of its commitment to strengthening border security, facilitating legitimate trade and advancing regional economic integration.
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The CGC’s Conference, themed “Securing Borders, Enabling Trade: A Customs Commitment to Safer Communities,” will provide a platform to review the Service’s modernisation efforts, assess progress against previous commitments, and reinforce the relationship between effective Customs administration, national security, and trade facilitation. C-PACT 2026, themed “One Border, Interconnected Systems: Advancing Customs Cooperation through One-Stop Border Posts,” will extend these discussions to the continental level, focusing on practical approaches to coordinated border management and digital connectivity across Africa.
The CGC’s Conference will bring together relevant government officials, Customs leadership, trade stakeholders and institutional partners to examine the Service’s progress in implementing modernisation and trade facilitation reforms. Under the sub-themes: “Enabling African Trade: Digital Customs, Trusted Corridors and Seamless Payments” and “Secure Borders, Safer Communities: Intelligence, Partnership and Trust at the Frontline,” the programme will also review commitments made in 2025 and results achieved in 2026, as well as feature presentations on Customs modernisation, Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) certificate presentation, and discussions on measuring the impact of reforms on trade and revenue. The conference will examine intelligence-led enforcement, emerging border threats, inter-agency collaboration, and officers’ professional responsibilities in protecting communities and maintaining public trust.
Furthermore, a major component of the CGC Conference will be the examination of how digital transformation and stakeholder partnerships are improving Customs operations.
Discussions will give stakeholders, including AEO beneficiaries, the National Single Window Secretariat, the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), excise-sector representatives, and other relevant institutions, an opportunity to assess reform outcomes and identify areas for further improvement. The second day of the conference will focus on coordinated responses to converging border threats, bringing together relevant security and enforcement institutions, including the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the NCS, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
Building on the national conference, C-PACT 2026 will provide a continental platform for Customs administrations, policymakers, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, Regional Economic Communities, border management agencies, development partners, technology providers and private-sector stakeholders to advance cooperation in African trade.
The conference will address persistent challenges affecting cross-border trade, including fragmented procedures, duplicated controls, limited information exchange, incompatible digital systems, and insufficient coordination among border agencies. It will explore how One-Stop Border Posts (OSBPs), supported by interconnected Customs platforms, coordinated risk management, harmonised procedures and secure information exchange, can reduce delays, lower trade costs, and improve the predictability of goods movement across African trade corridors.
The C-PACT 2026 programme will feature high-level policy dialogue, strategic discussions among Customs administrations, technical sessions on connected borders, presentations of operational experiences from existing and emerging OSBPs, technology demonstrations and discussions on public-private partnerships for financing and delivering modern border infrastructure. The conference will focus on implementing relevant AfCFTA initiatives, including the AfCFTA Integrated Transit System, the Single Bond Guarantee Scheme, and the Electronic Certificate of Origin system.
The conference is expected to generate practical recommendations, identify priority technology and investment opportunities, strengthen institutional partnerships, and develop an implementation-oriented roadmap to advance interconnected, digitally enabled border systems across the continent.

Customs
The NCS, under the leadership of CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR and its management members, reiterates its commitment to strengthening collaboration with national institutions, regional partners and international stakeholders to secure borders, facilitate legitimate trade and support Africa’s economic integration agenda. Through the CGC Conference and C-PACT 2026, the Service seeks to reinforce accountability for ongoing reforms while advancing practical solutions that connect border security with trade facilitation, technological innovation and safer communities.
The outcomes of both conferences are expected to improve Customs operations, strengthen regional cooperation, and advance the AfCFTA’s objectives of building a more integrated, competitive, and prosperous African market.
ABDULLAHI MAIWADA, PhD, mnipr, mniia
Deputy Comptroller of Customs
National Public Relations Officer
for Comptroller-General of Customs
25 October 2026
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