Court martial declares Maj-Gen guilty of $1.476m theft

A Special Court Martial set up by the Nigerian Army has found the former Group Managing Director and Executive Vice Chairman of Nigerian Army Properties Limited, Major General Umar Mohammed, guilty of 14 of 18 count charges, including stealing and other sundry offences, which are all contrary to service laws.

The charges brought against the General bother on stealing, forgery, conspiracy, theft, unauthorised diversion of Army property, among others.

In one of the charges on which he was found guilty, General Mohammed was alleged to have collected the sum of $1.045,400 paid by shipping companies for the use of Nigerian Army Jetty located at no 6 Marina, Victoria Island, Lagos.

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He was also found guilty of a theft of $430.800 being monies paid into Nigerian Army Domiciliary account at Unity Bank, Abuja for use of Nigerian Army Jetty, Marina, Lagos
The court martial also found him guilty of withdrawing and confiscating the sum of N74million out of N75million paid for a property belonging to the Nigerian Army at Ikoyi, Lagos.

The general was however found not guilty on allegations that he sold Army property worth N200million in Lagos as well as stole the sum of another N750million out of the sum of N2.5billion secured from banks as well as contribution from subscribers for a Army housing estate in Asokoro, Abuja.

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He was also not found guilty of charges of forging a Deed of Agreement document pursuant to confiscating another Army property in Lagos.

The Special Court Martial with Major General Kames Myam as President, has seven other Major Generals as members and a Brigadier General as Judge Advocate and it is expected to read out its sentences for the accused by Tuesday next week.

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During the court-martial, Major General UM Mohammed was brought into the court in a wheelchair but the President of the court, Maj-Gen Myan said all necessary medical checks were carried out on the accused and all proved that he was fit to stand trial.

Lead counsel for the prosecution was Col BA Oguntayo (Rtd) while Lead counsel for the Defence was Olalekan Ojo, SAN. (Vanguard)