Army court-martials General to 7 years in jail over $2.1m, N1.65b theft

A Nigerian Special Army Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced a former Group Managing Director, Nigerian Army Properties Limited, Maj.-Gen. Umar Mohammed, to seven years imprisonment for stealing the sum of $2,178,900 and N1.65 billion belonging to the Nigerian Army Property Limited (NAPL).

Mohammed was sentenced on Tuesday, October 10, after the court found him guilty of 14 count charges out of 18 count charges brought before the court, bordering on forgery, misappropriation of funds, and conspiracy among others.

Despite pleading not guilty to the charges, the eight-man panel led by Maj.-Gen. James Myam convicted Gen. Mohammed in 14 out of the 18 charges proferred against him.

The charges and sentence are:

Count 1: Stealing 5 years imprisonment, and to return a total sum of 1,045,400.000 dollars to NA

Count 2: Stealing 5 years imprisonment. 480,000 dollars to NA

Count 3: Stealing 5 years imprisonment and relying on secti0 85,400 dollars to NA

Count 4: Stealing 5 years imprisonment and returning the sum of 35,300 dollars only to NA Properties

Count 5: Stealing 5 years imprisonment and to return the sum of 55,500 dollars to NA Pr

Count 6: Stealing and is sentenced to 5 years imprisonment and 174 of the Armed Forces Act cap 8 120 shall pay 46,500 dollars only to NA

Count 7 Criminal conspiracy to commit forgery (Not Guilty) Discharged and acquitted of

Court 8: Forgery (Guilty) sentenced to 7 years imprisonment.

Count 9: Offence is theft and is guilty and sentenced to 5 years imprisonment.. The special court-martial relying on 174 Ordered 430,800 dollars to NAPL.

Count 10: Conspiracy to forge document (Not Guilty) discharged and acquitted on count 10

Count 11: Forgery (Not Guilty) discharged and acquitted

Count 12: Conduct prejudice on discipline and he is guilty and sentenced to 2 years imprisonment.

Count 13: Theft sentenced to 5 years imprisonment shall pay 74,000,000 naira only

Count 14: Criminal misappropriation and he is guilty. And sentenced to 2 years imprisonment and ordered 590,000,000 naira to NCC NAPIl

Count 15: Criminal misappropriation and he is guilty and sentenced to 2 years imprisonment and rely on 174 AFN. 255,000,000/to NCC NAPIL

Count 16: Criminal misappropriation and he is guilty and sentenced to 2 years imprisonment and the special count 174. Pay 559,172,000 naira to NCC

Count 17: Criminal misappropriation and he is found not guilty of count 17

Count 18: Criminal misappropriation and the accused found Guilty and sentenced to 2 years imprisonment and ordered shall pay 172,000,000 naira to FCC NAPL

The court ordered that the convicted senior officer be jailed for 5 years each for some of the offences while some others carried 7 and 2 years respectively.

The sentences would run concurrently, while the General will refund some of the stolen funds into the account of NAPL.

Before the sentence, Mohammed had been in a Military detention facility at Mogadishu cantonment, Abuja, for some unspecified years.

The Defence Counsel’s, Lekan Ojo (SAN), oral application that the General be moved to Kuje Correctional Facility was denied by the court. Read more.

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