The Court of Appeal has upheld the conviction and seven-year prison sentence handed to former Group Managing Director of Nigerian Army Properties Limited (NAPL), Umar Mohammed, over the misappropriation of funds belonging to the military-owned company.
In a unanimous judgment delivered by a three-member panel, the appellate court dismissed Mohammed’s appeal which challenged the authority of the special court martial that initially tried and convicted him. The panel, made up of Justices Abba Mohammed, Okon Abang, and Eberechi Nyesom-Wike, ruled that the court martial acted within its jurisdiction in prosecuting and sentencing the former senior army officer.
Mohammed had been convicted on October 10, 2023, by a special court martial on charges relating to theft and criminal misappropriation of funds belonging to Nigerian Army Properties Limited. During the trial, the tribunal found him guilty on 14 out of the 18 counts brought against him.
As part of the verdict, the court martial sentenced him to seven years in prison, dismissed him from the Nigerian Army, and ordered him to refund $2,099,700 as well as N1.65 billion to the company.
Dissatisfied with the ruling, Mohammed approached the Court of Appeal in February 2025, arguing that the judgment of the court martial lacked credible and sufficient evidence. He also questioned the jurisdiction of the military tribunal to hear and determine the case.
However, in its ruling, the appellate court rejected his arguments and upheld the earlier judgment. The justices held that the decision of the special court martial to dismiss Mohammed’s defence was justified, noting that his testimony contained several inconsistencies that weakened his credibility.
The court specifically pointed to contradictions in Mohammed’s statements, including his claim that NAPL never operated berthing services. According to the justices, that assertion conflicted with official records he had personally authored while serving in the company.
The appellate court concluded that the inconsistencies in his defence undermined his claims and validated the findings of the court martial. Consequently, the panel affirmed both the conviction and the seven-year prison sentence earlier imposed on him, including the order directing him to refund the stolen funds.
In a related development, a Federal High Court in Lagos in August 2025 ordered the final forfeiture of 245,568,137 shares linked to Mohammed and businessman Kayode Filani. The shares, valued at more than N5 billion, were confiscated following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which argued that the assets were acquired using proceeds of crime.
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