Appeal Court Upholds Conviction of Ex-Army General, Orders Return of Over N4bn to Nigerian Army Properties Ltd
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld the conviction and sentencing of an Ex-Major General in the Nigerian Army, Umaru Mallam Mohammed, affirming an earlier ruling by a Special Court Martial that found him guilty of stealing and misappropriating funds belonging to Nigerian Army Properties Limited.
Delivering judgment on February 9, 2026, the appellate court dismissed the appeal filed by the Ex-Major General challenging both the jurisdiction of the Special Court Martial and the validity of its verdict.
Mohammed had been tried and convicted by the Special Court Martial on October 10, 2023 for offences bordering on stealing and criminal misappropriation of Nigerian Army Properties Limited funds. He was dismissed from the Nigerian Army, sentenced to imprisonment and ordered to refund $2,099,700 and N1,650,172,000.00 to Nigerian Army Properties Limited.
Dissatisfied with the ruling, the Ex-Major General approached the Court of Appeal on February 12, 2025 in a suit marked CA/ABJ/CR/383/2025. In his appeal he argued that his conviction was not founded on sufficient, credible, reliable and compelling evidence.
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However, the three-member appellate panel comprising justices Abba Bello Mohammed, Okon Efreti Abang and Eberechi Suzzette Nyeson-Wike dismissed the claims, ruling that the evidence during the court martial clearly established the offences for which he was convicted.
According to the certified judgment issued on March 2, 2026, the appellate court held that the Special Court Martial acted correctly in rejecting the Ex-General’s defence which it described as inconsistent and unreliable.
The court cited contradictions in Mohammed’s testimony, holding that while he claimed Nigeran Army Properties Limited never operated berthing services, documentary records authored by him indicated otherwise. The judges held that such unexplained inconsistencies undermined his credibility.
Consequently, the Court of Appeal affirmed the conviction and sentence imposed by the Special Court Martial on all counts except those relating to forgery.
Legal observers say the judgment clears the way for Nigerian Army Properties Limited to recover the misappropriated and stolen funds from the dismissed senior military officer.
The judgment is being viewed as a significant affirmation of accountability within the Nigerian military justice system and a major step towards recovering the stolen funds.
