Guilt-racked Army General bags seven years for stealing $2.17m, N1bn

An Army General, Maj.-Gen. Umaru Mohammed is to spend the next seven years in prison for theft of N1.06 billion and 2.17 million dollars belonging to the Army.

The Nigerian Army Special Court Martial which handed down the verdict on Tuesday, ordered that Mohammed, a former Group Managing Director of Nigerian Army Properties Limited (NAPL), should also refund the stolen funds.

The President of the court, Maj.-Gen. James Myam, said the officer was found guilty on 14 of the 18 count charges slammed on him.

Myam said the sentence was based on the provisions of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, and Section 174 of the Armed Forces Act, Cap 20 Laws of 2004.

The verdict, he said, was made after due consideration of the plea of mitigation by the defence counsel.

“These sentences of this special court martial are all to run concurrently and are subject to the confirmation of the confirming authority.

“This sentence is dated this day, the 10th of October 2023 and the court is hereby adjourned Sine die,” the court ruled.

Myam said that on Count One which borders on stealing, Mohammed was found guilty and will spend five years in prison and refund 1.04 million dollars back to NAPL.

The court also found the officer guilty on Count Two and sentenced him to five years imprisonment, in addition to paying back the sum of $400,800 to NAPL.

On Count Three, Mohammed was sentenced to five years imprisonment and to refund the sum of $85,400 while count four also attracted five years imprisonment with an order to pay back the sum of $35,300.

On Count Five, the former NAPL boss was sentenced to five years imprisonment with an order to pay back the sum of $55,500 to the NAPL.

Count Six also attracted five years imprisonment with an order pay back the sum of $46,500.

The court, however, discharged and acquitted him of Count 7, but sentenced him to seven years imprisonment on Count Eight, while the remaining charges he was convicted of, attracted five and two years imprisonment.

The defence counsel, Mr Olalekan Ojo (SAN), citing Section 157 of the Armed Forces Act, prayed the court to move his client to a custodial centre instead of military detention facility, which the court rejected.

Ojo also urged that the sentence should run from the day of the court’s pronouncement.