Army General jailed seven years for stealing military funds, ordered to refund N3bn
The Military Court Martial sitting at Command Mess Abuja on Tuesday sentenced the former Group Managing Director, Nigerian Army Properties Limited, Major General Umar Mohammed to seven years imprisonment for stealing Military funds.
Mohammed was convicted on October 4, 2023 of 14 out of 18 counts of charges preferred against him by the Nigerian Army.
The President of the General Court Martial, Major General James Myam, had found the senior Army officer guilty of 14 out of 18 count charges.
The court ordered that the convicted senior military officer must return the sum of $2,178,900 and N1.65bn to the account of Nigerian Army Property Limited, which is about N3 billion.
General Umar Mohammed was guilty of the following: Count 1: Stealing: 5 years imprisonment and he must return a total sum of $1,045,400.000 to NAPL account.
Count 2: Stealing: He was found guilty. Punishment: 5 years imprisonment. He must return $480,000 to NAPL. Count 3: Stealing: 5 years imprisonment and he is to return $85,400 to NAPL.
Count 4: Stealing: 5 years imprisonment and he is to return the sum of $35,300 only to NAPL. Count 5: Stealing: 5 years imprisonment and to return the sum of $55,500 to NAPL.
Count 6: Stealing and is sentenced to 5 years imprisonment. This is in line with 174 of the Armed Forces Act Cap 8 120 and he shall pay $46,500 only to NAPL. Count 7: Criminal conspiracy to commit forgery (Not Guilty) Discharged and acquitted. Court 8: Forgery (Guilty) sentenced to 7 years imprisonment.
Count 9: Offence is theft and it is guilty and sentenced to 5 years imprisonment. The special court-martial relying on 174 ordered $430,800 to NAPL. Count 10: Conspiracy to forge document (Not Guilty) discharged and acquitted on count 10.
The court-martial trials are lawfully provided in the Armed Forces and act as one of the disciplinary tools in the armed forces.
The panel explained that the prosecution counsels called 24 witnesses, while the defendant called two witnesses.
The panel judgement ordered that the convicted senior officer be jailed for seven years since some of the offences carry two years, five years, and seven years.
While explaining that the sentences would run concurrently, the court also directed that he should refund some funds into the account of NAPL.