Major General sentenced to 7yrs imprisonment for stealing money

…Orders General to pay back $2.053,200 (2m.053,200 US dọllars)  & N1,690,000 (N1billion.690million) to the Nigerian Army

By Kingsley Omonobi – Abuja

Major General Umaru Mallam Mohammed, who was convicted on 14 of 18 counts by the Nigerian Army on October 4, 2023, was sentenced to 7 years in jail by a Special Court Martial.

While reading the punishments, Major General James Myam, President of the Special Court Martial, also ordered the convicted senior officer to refund the sum of $2,053,200 (2m,053,200 US dollars) and N1,690,000 (N1billion.690 million) to the Nigerian Army.

The total of the penalties imposed on the general amounted to 49 years in jail, but with the court announcing that they would run concurrently, it was reduced to 7 years.

The counts for which the senior officer was found guilty, as well as the punishments and orders, are as follows: count 1, Stealing, in violation of section 323, sub-section 7 of the Armed Forces Act. He was found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison. The court also ordered him to repay the Nigerian Army Properties Limited $1,045,400.

He was found guilty of Stealing on Count 2 and sentenced to 5 years in jail. He was also sentenced to repay $400,800 to the Nigerian Army Properties Limited.

He was found guilty of Stealing on Count 3 and sentenced to 5 years in jail. He was sentenced to repay the Nigerian Army Properties Limited $85,400.

Count 4: Major General UM Mohammed was found guilty of stealing, condemned to 5 years in jail, and forced to repay the Nigerian Army Properties Limited $35,300.

Count 5, he was convicted of Stealing in violation of Section 383, Subsection 1 of the Criminal Code Act and sentenced to 5 years in jail. The General was also ordered by the Special Court Martial to repay $55,500 to Nigerian Army Properties Limited.

Count 6, he was found guilty of Stealing in violation of Criminal Code Section 310 and sentenced to 5 years in prison. He was also sentenced to repay $46,500 to Nigerian Army Properties Limited.

General UM Mohammed was released and acquitted on Counts 7, Conspiracy to Commit Forgery, and Count 10, Conspiracy to Commit Document Forgery. Counts 11, Forgery, 12, Conduct Prejudice to Service Discipline, and 17 Criminal Misconduct.

The court found him guilty of Count 8, Forgery in violation of Section 362 of the Armed Forces Act, and sentenced him to 7 years in jail.

He was convicted of Count 9 and sentenced to 5 years in jail. General UM Mohammed was also sentenced to repay $430,800 to the Nigerian Army Properties Ltd.

He was convicted of Count 12, Conduct Contrary to Service Discipline, and sentenced to two years in prison.

Gen Mohammed was convicted guilty of Count 13, Theft, condemned to five years in prison, and ordered to repay N74 million to the Nigerian Army Properties Limited.

He was found guilty of Count 14, Criminal Misappropriation, condemned to two years in prison, and ordered to repay N590 million to the FCC NAM Limited.

He was found guilty of Count 16, Criminal Misapproriation, condemned to two years in prison, and ordered to repay N255 million to the Nigerian Army Properties Limited.

In Count 16, the court further ordered the guilty general to repay additional N550 million to FCC Nigerian Army Properties Ltd.

The senior commander was found guilty of Count 18, Criminal Misappropriation pursuant to Section 308, Laws of Northern Nigeria, condemned to two years in prison, and directed to repay the sum of N 172 million to the Nigerian Army Properties Limited.

Major General James Myam, President of the Special Court Martial, then revealed that the penalties are subject to confirmation by the Army Council, which is the competent confirming authority.

It should be noted that the accused officer, who was the Executive Vice Chairman and General Manager of the Nigerian Army Properties Limited, pleaded not guilty and presented two witnesses.

The prosecution, on the other hand, he claimed, called 24 witnesses.

The allegations were brought under section 383(1) of the Criminal Code Act Cap c38 law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, punishable under section 390 (7) of the Act and section 114 of the Armed Forces Act Cap A20 2004, according to the Court's President, Major Gen Myam.

Other accusations were made against the convicted general under section 383(1) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria's Criminal Code Act Cap c38, which is punished under section 390 (7) of the Act and section 114 of the Armed Forces Act Cap A20 2004.