The embattled Director-General of the National Metallurgical Development Centre, NMDC, Jos, Professor Linus Okon-Asuquo, is now facing prosecution as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, has filed criminal charges against him and four others.
According to exclusive court documents obtained by DAILY NIGERIAN dated 14 October 2025, the ICPC had filed multiple count charges against Mr Asuquo and his co-defendants, accusing them of corruption, abuse of office, and breach of the Public Procurement Act.
The charges, filed before a Federal High Court, followed DAILY NIGERIAN’s series of investigative reports that exposed how the NMDC boss allegedly mismanaged over ₦2.5 billion through fraudulent contracts, diversion of intervention funds, and abuse of procurement processes.
The document, titled: “FRN vs. Prof Linus Okon Asuquo & 4 Others”, listed the DG alongside other senior officials and contractors who allegedly collaborated in awarding and executing questionable contracts running into hundreds of millions of naira.
The anti-graft agency accused the defendants of conspiring to inflate contract sums, sign award letters in violation of procurement regulations, and approve payments far above the legal threshold of the Director-General’s authority.
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that this development comes weeks after widespread staff protests had rocked the NMDC headquarters, with workers demanding the removal of Mr Asuquo over allegations of corruption, maladministration, and victimization.
The Ministry of Mines and Steel Development had subsequently dispatched a delegation led by its Permanent Secretary, Chris Osokpunwu, to assess the situation, promising to take decisive action.
When contacted, a top source within the ICPC confirmed that the Commission had concluded its investigation and had filed the case for prosecution, but declined to comment further, citing ongoing court proceedings.
The case marks a major milestone in the unfolding corruption scandal that has engulfed the NMDC, one of Nigeria’s most strategic research institutions, envisioned to drive industrialisation through metallurgical innovation but now mired in allegations of fraud and administrative decay.
