Major-General found guilty of stealing, forgery in Army court martial

Former Managing Director of Nigerian Army Properties, Major General Umar M. Mohammed, has been found guilty of forgery and stealing of millions of U.S. Dollars belonging to the Nigerian Army.

Mohammed, who stood trial at the Army court martial held at the Command Officers Mess 1, Asokoro, Abuja, yesterday, is being charged for forgery and stealing among others.

President of the court, Major General James Myam, said Mohammed is being tried on an 18-count charge. Mohammed, who was indicted by a military police investigation and recommended for trial, was previously denied bail by the court because of the large amount of money allegedly stolen by officer, noting that it could encourage him to abscond.

The accused is being defended by a legal team comprising two Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) and six lawyers, including a retired military officer.
Reading out the charges, Myam and his eight-man panel found him guilty of stealing, forgery, conspiracy and misappropriation of funds among others.

Mohammed 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, VI, Lagos.

Furthermore, he was found guilty of withdrawing and confiscating the sum of N74 million out of N75 million 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 N200 million in Lagos as well as the sum of another N750 million out of the sum of N2.5 billion secured from banks as contribution from subscribers for a housing estate in Asokoro, Abuja.

His sentencing has been fixed for next week Tuesday. During the court martial, Mohammed was brought into the court in a wheel chair, but President of the court said all necessary medical checks were carried out on the accused and all proved that he was fit to stand trial.

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