The Court of Appeal of Nigeria has upheld the conviction and sentencing of former Group Managing Director of Nigerian Army Properties Limited (NAPL), Umar Mohammed, for stealing and misappropriating company funds.
In the Certified True Copy of the judgment, the appellate court dismissed Mohammed’s appeal challenging the jurisdiction of the Special Court Martial of the Nigerian Army and the validity of its verdict.
Mohammed was initially tried and convicted by the military court on October 10, 2023 for offences bordering on stealing and criminal misappropriation of funds belonging to the army-owned company.
Following the conviction, he was dismissed from the Nigerian Army, sentenced to imprisonment and ordered to refund $2,099,700 and N1.65 billion to Nigerian Army Properties Limited.
Dissatisfied with the ruling, the former general filed an appeal on February 12, 2025, arguing that the conviction was not supported by credible evidence.
However, a three-member panel of justices – Abba Mohammed, Okon Abang, and Eberechi Nyesom-Wike – dismissed the appeal.
The court ruled that the evidence presented during the court martial clearly established the offences, noting that Mohammed’s defence was inconsistent and unreliable.
According to the judgment, the court identified contradictions in Mohammed’s testimony, particularly his claim that Nigerian Army Properties Limited never operated berthing services.
The justices said this claim conflicted with documentary records authored by the former officer himself, which showed that the company indeed operated such services.
They concluded that the inconsistencies significantly undermined his credibility.
The appellate court therefore affirmed the conviction and sentence imposed by the Special Court Martial on all counts except those relating to forgery.
In a related development, Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court of Nigeria in Lagos had earlier ordered the final forfeiture of shares worth more than N5 billion linked to Mohammed and businessman Kayode Filani.
The order followed an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which told the court that 245,568,137 shares were purchased with proceeds of unlawful activities carried out during Mohammed’s tenure.
The EFCC, through its counsel Hanatu Kofanaisa, informed the court that the military tribunal had earlier convicted Mohammed on 14 out of 18 counts related to stealing and other offences.
After reviewing the evidence, Justice Dipeolu ruled that the anti-graft agency had met all legal requirements and ordered the shares permanently forfeited to the Federal Government in favour of Nigerian Army Properties Limited.
The application was filed under Section 44(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006.
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