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Appeal Court Upholds Conviction of Ex-Army General, Orders ₦4bn Refund
Appeal Court Upholds Conviction of Ex-Army General, Orders ₦4bn Refund
The Court of Appeal of Nigeria has affirmed the conviction and prison sentence handed to former Major General Umar Mohammed over the diversion of billions of naira belonging to Nigerian Army Properties Limited (NAPL), the property and investment arm of the Nigerian Army.
In a judgment delivered by a three-member panel of justices, the appellate court upheld the earlier decision of a Special Court Martial which found the retired officer guilty of stealing and mismanaging funds belonging to the army-owned company during his tenure as its Group Managing Director.
The court also sustained the order directing him to refund more than ₦4 billion traced to the illegal transactions.
According to the Certified True Copy of the judgment, the justices dismissed Mohammed’s appeal challenging both the jurisdiction of the military tribunal and the outcome of the trial. The appellate court held that the court martial acted within the bounds of the law and relied on credible and admissible evidence to reach its verdict.
The panel—comprising Justice Abba Mohammed, Justice Okon Abang, and Justice Eberechi Nyesom‑Wike—ruled that the prosecution had successfully established the charges brought against the former general.
Mohammed was originally arraigned before the military tribunal on October 10, 2023, where he faced multiple counts of stealing, criminal misappropriation and financial misconduct involving funds belonging to the army property firm.
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After the trial, the court martial dismissed him from military service and sentenced him to imprisonment. The tribunal also ordered him to refund $2,099,700 and ₦1.65 billion to the company as restitution for the diverted funds.
Dissatisfied with the ruling, Mohammed approached the appellate court in February 2025 through an appeal marked CA/ABJ/CR/383/2025, asking that the conviction be overturned on the grounds that the evidence used against him was weak and unreliable.
However, the appellate court disagreed.
The justices ruled that the defence presented by the former officer was riddled with contradictions and could not discredit the evidence already accepted by the court martial.
Part of the judgment highlighted inconsistencies in Mohammed’s testimony. During the proceedings, he had claimed that Nigerian Army Properties Limited did not operate berthing services, but the court noted that documentary records previously authored and signed by him indicated that the company was indeed involved in such operations.
The appellate court held that the conflicting statements weakened his credibility and strengthened the prosecution’s case.
Consequently, the court affirmed the conviction and sentence on most of the charges established by the tribunal, setting aside only the counts relating to alleged forgery.
Mohammed’s legal troubles extend beyond the criminal conviction.
In August 2025, the Federal High Court of Nigeria sitting in Lagos, presided over by Justice Dehinde Dipeolu, ordered the final forfeiture of shares worth more than ₦5 billion linked to the former general and businessman Kayode Filani.
The shares—totalling 245,568,137 units—were found to have been purchased with funds suspected to be proceeds of illegal activities during Mohammed’s leadership of the army-owned company.
The forfeiture followed an application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which told the court that its investigations had established that the funds used for the investment were unlawfully obtained.
EFCC counsel Hanatu Kofanaisa informed the court that the Special Court Martial had earlier convicted the former general on 14 out of 18 counts relating to stealing and financial misconduct.
She also explained that the commission complied with all legal procedures for final forfeiture, including public notification through newspaper publications. No individual or organisation came forward to challenge the application.
Justice Dipeolu subsequently ruled that the anti-graft agency had proven its case and ordered the shares to be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government, in favour of Nigerian Army Properties Limited.
The forfeiture proceedings were brought under Section 44(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
With the latest ruling by the Court of Appeal, Mohammed’s attempt to overturn his conviction has effectively failed, reinforcing the disciplinary action earlier taken by military authorities and marking a major judicial decision in Nigeria’s ongoing fight against corruption within public institutions.
Appeal Court Upholds Conviction of Ex-Army General, Orders ₦4bn Refund
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Court Sentences Three to Life Imprisonment Over Oyo School Kidnapping
Court Sentences Three to Life Imprisonment Over Oyo School Kidnapping
Justice Salim Ibrahim also sentenced one convict to 20 years in a separate terrorism charge, with trial continuing on remaining counts.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced three men to life imprisonment for their roles in the kidnapping of schoolchildren and teachers from schools in Oriire Local Government Area, Oyo State. Justice Salim Ibrahim handed down the sentences on Thursday after the defendants pleaded guilty to multiple terrorism-related charges brought against them by the Federal Government under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The three convicts are Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid; Yunusa Musa, also known as Yunusa bin Musa; and Shamsu Adamu Sani, also known as Abu Itisar. All three men are from Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State, and their arrest followed intelligence-led investigations by the Department of State Services.
The defendants were arraigned on a 10-count charge bordering on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment of information, incitement, and illegal mining. The Federal Government alleged that between January and May 2026, the defendants conspired with Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed, and Ibrahim Khabab to kidnap schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire LGA, Oyo State. Prosecutors also accused them of aiding the abduction by concealing information about the identities and activities of the alleged masterminds, despite having prior knowledge of the plot.
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The three defendants pleaded guilty to counts four and six of the charge. Count four related to the concealment of information about the terrorists who masterminded the school kidnapping, while count six addressed their membership of Darul Salam, described by the prosecution as an affiliate of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan (Ansaru) , a proscribed terrorist organisation in Nigeria. The first defendant, Abdulrazak Umar, separately pleaded guilty to counts seven, eight, nine, and ten. These additional charges alleged that he provided training and instructions to terrorists through a WhatsApp group titled “The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace” , incited members to commit acts of terrorism through the same platform, and engaged in illegal gold mining at streams in the Chaza area of Suleja LGA between 2024 and 2026.
The Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), who led the prosecution, urged the court to convict and sentence the defendants on the counts to which they had pleaded guilty. Justice Ibrahim convicted the three defendants and sentenced each to life imprisonment. According to reports, the judge also sentenced Umar to a 20-year imprisonment on count eight. The sentences are to take effect from the date of their arrest.
The abduction that led to these convictions occurred on May 15, 2026, when armed men attacked three schools in the Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire LGA: Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School. In total, 39 pupils and seven teachers, including a principal, were taken during the attacks. The tragedy was compounded by the loss of two teachers: Mr Joel Adesiyan was killed while attempting to escape, and Mr Michael Oyedokun was beheaded by the kidnappers. The victims regained their freedom on July 10, 2026, after spending 56 days in captivity following a military operation. The Presidency stated that no ransom was paid and no concessions were made to the terrorists to secure the release of the victims.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the remaining counts against them, and Justice Ibrahim has adjourned the matter to September 16 and 17, 2026, for the commencement of trial on those outstanding charges.
Court Sentences Three to Life Imprisonment Over Oyo School Kidnapping
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