Army Court-Martial Jails Four Soldiers for Life Over Arms Racketeering in Maiduguri
A Special Court Martial of the Nigerian Army has handed life sentences to three soldiers and varying jail terms to another for their involvement in arms and ammunition racketeering in Borno State.
The court, convened by the Acting General Officer Commanding 7 Division and Commander, Sector 1 Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), Brigadier General Ugochukwu Unachukwu, delivered its verdict at the Headquarters Theatre Command Officers’ Mess, Maiduguri, on 18 September 2025.
Presided over by Brigadier General Mohammed Abdullahi, the tribunal found the convicted soldiers guilty of multiple offences including theft, unlawful dealing in ammunition, and aiding the enemy — all punishable under the Armed Forces Act, CAP A20 LFN 2004.
Those convicted include Sergeant Raphael Ameh, Sergeant Ejiga Musa, and Lance Corporal Patrick Ocheje, who were sentenced to life imprisonment. Corporal Omitoye Rufus was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.
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Details of the Offences
Court records showed that Sgt Ameh, while serving as an armourer with 7 Division Garrison, colluded with late Lance Corporal Ogbogo Isaac and some personnel of the Police Mobile Force (PMF) to divert ammunition from the division’s armoury. The illicit consignments, often concealed in bags of beans, were smuggled to Enugu and Ebonyi states for use by criminals. Bank records linked him to more than 100 suspicious transactions between July 2022 and June 2024.
Sgt Ejiga, who served as armourer with 195 Battalion, was convicted for conspiring with Lance Corporal Ocheje and Inspector Francis Manasseh of 30 PMF to sell an AK-47 rifle and large quantities of ammunition. He was eventually caught attempting to sell weapons to another PMF operative.
Cpl Omitoye was found guilty of selling 40 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition to Inspector Enoch Nwokolobia, while LCpl Ocheje, deployed at Forward Operating Base Molai, was convicted for pilfering ammunition and selling to militias during communal crises. He was also found guilty of stealing a fellow soldier’s rifle.
Army Reiterates Zero Tolerance
Delivering judgment, Brig Gen Abdullahi described the soldiers’ actions as “a grave betrayal of trust and discipline, a direct threat to national security, and an act of aiding the enemy.”
He stressed that the Army will not tolerate misconduct, warning that such acts erode discipline, undermine morale, and tarnish the institution’s image.
“The Nigerian Army remains committed to accountability, professionalism and justice. Misconduct will be met with stiff sanctions, while gallantry and professionalism will be duly rewarded,” he stated.
The Army reaffirmed its zero-tolerance stance on arms diversion, stressing that those who betray their oath of service will face the full weight of the law.
