Court of Appeal Upholds Conviction of Ex‑Army Properties Chief, Maj‑Gen Umar Mohammed
The Court of Appeal has affirmed the conviction and sentencing of former Group Managing Director of Nigerian Army Properties Limited (NAPL), Maj.-Gen. Umar Mohammed, for offences of stealing and criminal misappropriation of company funds.
In its Certified True Copy (CTC) of judgment, the appellate court dismissed Mohammed’s appeal, which challenged both the jurisdiction of the Special Court Martial of the Nigerian Army and the validity of its verdict. The court held that the trial and conviction by the Special Court Martial on 10 October 2023 were properly conducted and supported by credible evidence.
Following his conviction, Mohammed was dismissed from service, sentenced to imprisonment, and ordered to refund $2,099,700 and ₦1.65 billion to NAPL. Dissatisfied, he filed an appeal on 12 February 2025 (Suit No. CA/ABJ/CR/383/2025), arguing that the conviction lacked sufficient evidential basis.
A three‑member panel comprising Justices Abba Mohammed, Okon Abang, and Eberechi Nyesom‑Wike unanimously dismissed the appeal. The court found Mohammed’s defence inconsistent and unreliable, noting contradictions in his testimony, particularly his denial that NAPL operated berthing services, despite documentary evidence he himself authored to the contrary. These inconsistencies, the court ruled, undermined his credibility.
The appellate court therefore upheld the conviction and sentence on all counts except forgery. In a related development, Justice Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on 12 August 2025, ordered the final forfeiture of shares worth over ₦5 billion traced to Mohammed and businessman Kayode Filani. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) established that the 245,568,137 shares were acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities during Mohammed’s tenure.
Granting the EFCC’s application, Justice Dipeolu held that the commission had satisfied all statutory requirements for forfeiture under Section 44(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006. The shares were accordingly forfeited to the Federal Government for the benefit of NAPL.
