4 Soldiers Jailed for Life in Maiduguri Over Arms Dealings, Aiding Boko Haram

A Special Court Martial of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri has sentenced four soldiers to long prison terms for arms racketeering and aiding Boko Haram terrorists. The court, convened by the Acting General Officer Commanding 7 Division and Commander of Sector 1 Operation Hadin Kai, Brigadier General Ugochukwu Unachukwu, found the soldiers guilty of offences ranging from theft and unlawful dealing in ammunition to aiding the enemy—serious breaches under the Armed Forces Act and other extant laws.

Delivering judgment, the President of the Court Martial, Brigadier General Mohammed Abdullahi, said the soldiers’ actions had directly endangered troops and undermined national security. Sgt Raphael Ameh, Sgt Ejiga Musa, and LCpl Patrick Ocheje were sentenced to life imprisonment, while Cpl Omitoye Rufus received 15 years in prison.

Evidence before the court showed that Sgt Ameh, an armourer with 7 Division Garrison, conspired with a late colleague to divert ammunition from the armoury. He allegedly worked with police operatives to conceal weapons in bags of beans for transport to Enugu and Ebonyi States, funding the trade through over 100 bank transactions between July 2022 and June 2024.

Sgt Musa, armourer of 195 Battalion, was convicted for stealing weapons and selling them in collaboration with LCpl Ocheje and police contacts. Records showed he collected more than ₦500,000 from the illicit trade. His arrest came after an attempt to sell ammunition to an undercover police operative.

Cpl Rufus was convicted for selling 40 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition to a police inspector, while LCpl Ocheje was found guilty of supplying ammunition to militias during communal clashes and stealing a colleague’s AK-47 rifle.

The court declared their actions a betrayal of military discipline and honour, stressing that the Nigerian Army maintains a zero-tolerance stance against soldiers supplying ammunition to criminals or insurgents.