Maj. Gen. Umaru Muhammed found guilty of stealing $1.476 million by Army Court martial
The Nigerian Army Special Court Martial in Abuja has found Maj-Gen Umaru Muhammed guilty of $1.476 million theft.
Muhammed formerly served as the group managing director of Nigerian Army Properties Limited, or NAPL.
The court’s president, Maj.-Gen. James Myam, stated on Wednesday that the accused had pleaded not guilty and presented two witnesses during the hearing.
He stated that the defendant was found guilty of stealing $1.04 million USD between May 7, 2019, and June 24, 2021, while functioning as GMD of NAPL.
According to the court president, the accused was found guilty of instructing one Maj. Usman and another, who are still at large, to collect money in dollars from ship owners.
Mr Myam, on the other hand, stated that Mr Muhammed was not found guilty on count 7, which amounted to criminal conspiracy to fake a document in collusion with one Yusuf Abdulahi.
However, he was found guilty of forgery in connection with counts 8 and 9 of stealing $430,800, according to the court’s president.
The court also found the general guilty of conspiracy to fake documents and selling the company’s property for N200 million while no longer serving at NAPL.
It also convicted him guilty of defrauding the firm of N74 million on August 22, 2019.
The court stated that the accused could not account for N2.5 billion belonging to the corporation on charges 14, 15, 16, and 18, which bordered on criminal misappropriation.
The court ruled that the prosecution failed to show beyond reasonable doubt count 17, in which the general was accused of taking N750 million from the company’s account.