Appeal Court Upholds Conviction of Ex-Army General, Orders Refund of Over N4 Billion

The Court of Appeal has affirmed the conviction of Umar Mohammed, former group managing director of Nigerian Army Properties Limited, for stealing and misappropriating company funds.

The appellate court dismissed Mohammed’s appeal, which had challenged both the jurisdiction of the Special Court Martial and the validity of its verdict. The three-judge panel—Justices Abba Mohammed, Okon Abang, and Eberechi Nyesom-Wike—found the evidence presented at the court martial sufficient to establish the offences.

Mohammed was originally convicted on October 10, 2023, and sentenced to imprisonment, dismissal from the army, and ordered to repay $2,099,700 and N1.65 billion to the company. The court noted contradictions in his testimony, particularly his claim that the company never operated berthing services, which was contradicted by documents he had authored. These inconsistencies, the court ruled, undermined his credibility.

The appellate court upheld the original conviction and sentence, except for charges related to forgery.

Separately, in August 2025, the Federal High Court, Lagos Division, ordered the final forfeiture of shares worth over N5 billion linked to Mohammed and businessman Kayode Filani. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had demonstrated that the 245,568,137 shares were purchased with funds obtained through unlawful activities during Mohammed’s tenure. The court ruled the shares permanently forfeited to the federal government, in favour of Nigerian Army Properties Limited.