Former Managing Director of Nigerian Army Properties, Major General Umar Mallam Mohammed, has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment for forgery, stealing and theft of millions of US Dollars belonging to the Nigerian Army by an 8-man special court martial in Abuja.

Pronouncing the sentences, President of the court, which sat at Army Officers Mess 1, Asokoro, Major General James Myam said the former Managing Director was found guilty of 14 out 18 count charges preferred against him.

According to him, on count 1, Major General Mohammed was found guilty of stealing and sentenced to five years imprisonment with an order to pay back 1,045,400.00 Million USD to the Nigerian Army Properties Limited (NAPL).

On count 2, he was found guilty of stealing and sentenced to five years imprisonment, with an order to pay back 400,800 USD to NAPL. He was also found guilty of stealing on count 3 and sentenced to five years imprisonment with an order to pay back 85,400 USD to NAPL.

He was also found guilty of stealing on count 4 and was therefore sentenced to 5 years imprisonment with an order to pay back 35,300 USD to army.

On count 5, the General was found guilty of stealing and sentenced to 5 years imprisonment with an order to pay back 55,500 USD to NAPL. He was also found guilty of stealing on count 6 and therefore sentenced to 5 years imprisonment with an order to pay back 46,500 USD.

On count 7, however, General Mohammed was not guilty of criminal conspiracy to commit forgery and was discharged and acquitted.

On count 8, he was found guilty of forgery and sentenced to 7 years in prison, while on count 9, he was pronounced guilty of theft and sentenced to 5years in prison with an order to pay back 430,800 USD.

On count 10, the General was cleared on conspiracy to forge document and was discharged and acquitted.

On count 11, he was also not guilty of forgery, while he was declared guilty of conduct to prejudice of service discipline on count 12 and was sentenced to 2years in prison.

On count 13, he was found guilty of theft and sentenced to 5years in prison and ordered to return N74million to NAPL.

On count 14, he was guilty of criminal misappropriation and sentenced to two years in prison with an order to return N590million to NAPL properties.

On count 15 also, he was sentenced to two years in prison for criminal misappropriation and ordered to pay back N255million to NAPL properties.

On count 16, he was also sentenced to two years in prison for criminal conspiracy and ordered to pay back N559,172,000 to NAPL properties.

On count 17, however, the former MD of NAPL was discharged and acquitted for criminal misappropriation. He was found guilty for criminal misappropriation on count 18 and was sentenced to 2 years in prison.

The court president noted that the sentencing would run concurrently and is subject to confirmation by the confirming authority.

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 Army General Mohammed is being defended by a legal team comprising two Senior Advocates of Nigeria and six lawyers, including a retired military officer. (The Guardian, excluding headline)

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