Abuja, Nigeria – The Court of Appeal has upheld the conviction of a former senior military officer and ordered him to refund millions of dollars and naira misappropriated from a Nigerian Army company.
The appellate court affirmed the conviction and sentencing of former Group Managing Director of Nigerian Army Properties Limited, Umar Mohammed.
Okay News reports that the three-member panel of justices dismissed Mohammed’s appeal on Monday. The former Major-General was found guilty of stealing and criminally misappropriating funds belonging to the army-owned company during his tenure as managing director.
The panel consisting of Abba Mohammed, Okon Abang, and Eberechi Nyesom-Wike ruled that evidence presented during the trial clearly established the offences. The appellate court held that the Special Court Martial was right to reject the former general’s defence, describing it as inconsistent and unreliable.
The court noted contradictions in Mohammed’s testimony. He claimed that the army’s property company never operated berthing services, which conflicted with documentary records he had previously authored. These inconsistencies undermined his credibility.
The court subsequently affirmed the conviction and sentence imposed by the court-martial on all counts except those relating to forgery.
Mohammed was earlier tried and convicted by a Special Court Martial of the Nigerian Army on October 10, 2023. The offences bordered on stealing and criminal misappropriation of funds belonging to Nigerian Army Properties Limited.
Following the conviction, he was dismissed from the Nigerian Army and sentenced to imprisonment. The court also ordered him to refund 2,099,700 and N1.65 billion (1.1 million USD) to the company.
Dissatisfied with the decision, Mohammed filed an appeal on February 12, 2025. He argued that the conviction was not supported by sufficient and credible evidence. However, the appellate court dismissed the appeal and upheld the court martial’s decision.
Separately, in August 2025, Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Lagos ordered the final forfeiture of shares worth over N5 billion traced to Mohammed and businessman Kayode Filani.
The forfeiture followed an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The anti-graft agency told the court that the 245,568,137 shares were acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities carried out during Mohammed’s tenure.
The case is part of a broader clampdown by Nigerian authorities on corruption and recovery of assets linked to financial crimes.
In October 2025, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission reported recovery of N566 billion, 411 million, and 1,502 properties traced to financial and economic crimes over the previous two years.
Other high-profile cases include former Minister of Aviation Stella Oduah, who opted for a plea bargain in an alleged N2.5 billion fraud case in March 2026. In January 2026, a Federal High Court ordered interim forfeiture of 57 properties valued at N213.2 billion allegedly linked to former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami.
Earlier in 2025, a Federal High Court in Lagos ordered final forfeiture of 4.7 million, N830 million, and several properties linked to former Central Bank governor Godwin Emefiele.
