A Nigerian Army Special Court-martial sitting in Abuja yesterday sentenced a former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian Army Properties Limited, Maj.-Gen. Umar Mohammed, to seven years’ imprisonment for stealing $2,178,900 and N1.65 billion belonging to the Nigerian Army Property Limited (NAPL).
Mohammed was sentenced after the court found him guilty of 14 out of 18 count charges brought before the court, bordering on forgery, misappropriation of funds, conspiracy, among others.
The accused had pleaded not guilty to all the charges pressed against him.
At the resumed sitting yesterday, when the judgment was pronounced, the eight-man panel, led by Maj.-Gen. James Myam, averred that the convicted senior military officer was found guilty in 14 out of the 18 charges.
Myam said count one was brought under Section 383(1) of the Criminal Code Act, Cap. c38, Law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and punishable under Section 390 (7) of the Act.
He said the charge was also brought pursuant to Section 114 of the Armed Forces Act, Cap. A20, 2004.
The charges include stealing, for which Mohammed was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.
The convict is to return $1,045,400.000 to the Nigerian Army.
In counts one to six, Mohammed was charged with stealing and sentenced, on conviction, to five years’ imprisonment on each count and he is to return $1,045,400.000, $480,000, $85,400, $35,300, $55,500, and $46,500 to the Nigerian Army.
On Count Seven, he was charged with criminal conspiracy to commit forgery but was found not guilty, discharged and acquitted.
On Court Eight, the accused was charged with forgery, found guilty, and sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment, among others.
The panel said the prosecution counsel called 24 witnesses, while the defendant called two witnesses.
In its judgment, the panel ordered that the convict be jailed for five years for some of the offences while others are to carry seven and two years.
It averred that the sentences would run concurrently and directed the convict to refund the stolen funds into the account of the NAPL.
Myam said the sentences were subject to the confirmation of “confirming authority”.
Before he was sentenced, Mohammed had reportedly been held in a military detention facility at Mogadishu Cantonment in Abuja for some years.
The defence counsel, Lekan Ojo (SAN), made an oral application that the convicted senior military officer be moved to Kuje Correctional Facility, but the panel declined the application.
