March 09, (THEWILL) — The Court of Appeal has upheld the conviction and dismissal of former Group Managing Director of Nigerian Army Properties Limited (NAPL), Maj.-Gen. Umar Mohammed, for stealing and criminally misappropriating the company’s funds.
In the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgement released on Monday, the appellate court dismissed Mohammed’s appeal challenging the jurisdiction of the Special Court Martial of the Nigerian Army and the validity of its verdict.
Mohammed was earlier tried and convicted by the Special Court Martial on October 10, 2023, for offences involving theft and the criminal misappropriation of funds belonging to Nigerian Army Properties Limited.
Following his conviction, the former senior officer was dismissed from the Nigerian Army, sentenced to imprisonment and ordered to refund $2,099,700 and ₦1.65 billion to the company.
Dissatisfied with the ruling, Mohammed approached the Court of Appeal on February 12, 2025, in suit No. CA/ABJ/CR/383/2025, arguing that his conviction was not supported by sufficient and credible evidence.
However, a three-member panel of justices, including Abba Mohammed, Okon Abang and Eberechi Nyesom-Wike, dismissed the appeal, holding that the evidence presented during the court martial sufficiently established the offences against him.
According to the certified judgment, 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, particularly his claim that Nigerian Army Properties Limited never operated berthing services, which contradicted documentary records authored by him indicating otherwise.
The justices held that the inconsistencies undermined his credibility and validated the findings of the court-martial.
The appellate court consequently affirmed the conviction and sentence imposed by the Special Court Martial on all counts except those relating to forgery.
Reports by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recall that in August 2025, Justice Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Lagos ordered the final forfeiture of shares valued at over ₦5 billion traced to Mohammed and a businessman, Kayode Filani.
The order followed an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which told the court that the 245,568,137 shares were purchased with proceeds of unlawful activities carried out during Mohammed’s tenure as head of the army’s property company.
EFCC counsel in the matter, Hanatu Kofanaisa, explained that a Special Court Martial had already convicted Mohammed on 14 out of 18 counts of stealing and related offences.
She added that the commission had met all legal requirements for the final forfeiture, including the mandatory newspaper publication of the interim order, without any objection being filed.
In granting the application, Justice Dipeolu held that the EFCC had proved its case and consequently ordered the shares permanently forfeited to the Federal Government in favour of Nigerian Army Properties Limited.
The application was brought under Section 44(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
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