The Nigerian Army’s Special Court Martial (SCM) has found Major General Mohammed Umar, the previous Group Managing Director (GMD) and also Vice Chairman (VP) of the Nigerian Army Properties Limited (NAMPL), responsible and guilty of 14 out of 18 counts of theft and other sundry offences, all in violation of service laws.
The charges include but are not limited to, stealing, forging documents, conspiring to commit fraud, theft, and unlawful diversion of Army property.
In one of the charges, Umar was found guilty of collecting the sum of $ 1.0470,400 owed by shipping companies for utility of the Nigerian Army Jetty (NAMPL) located at no 6 Marina (Victoria Island, Lagos) and of alleged theft of $430.800 paid into the Nigeria Army Domiciliary (NAMBL) account at Unity Bank (Abuja) for use of the Jetty.
The court martial also found Umar guilty of taking and confiscating N74 million of the N75 million paid to the Nigerian Army for the Ikoyi (Lagos) property.
At the end of the trial, the general was found not guilty of selling N200m in Lagos, of stealing N750m from banks, and of forging a deed of Agreement relating to the confiscation of another Army property.
The Special Court Martial, which is made up of seven other Maj Generals, one Brigadier General, and a Judge Advocate, is expected to pass sentence on the accused person by the end of the coming week.
Though the General came to the court in a wheelchair, the President, Major-Gen Myam, announced that all required medical tests had been performed on him and proved his well-being to preside.
The prosecution was led by Col BA Ogununtayo, Rtd., and the Defence was led by Olaekan Objojo, SAN.
