₦airaland Forum

A Special Court Martial of the Nigerian Army sitting in Maiduguri, Borno State, has sentenced three soldiers to life imprisonment and another to 15 years in jail for their roles in a dangerous arms and ammunition racket that supplied weapons to criminals and militias.

The trial, convened by Ugochukwu Unachukwu, a Brigadier General and acting General Officer commanding 7 Division and commander of Sector 1, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), was held at the officers’ mess, Theatre Command Headquarters in Maiduguri.

Delivering judgment, Mohammed Abdullahi, a brigadier general and president of the court-martial, sentenced Raphael Ameh, a sergeant; Ejiga Musa, a sergeant, and Patrick Ocheje, a lance corporal, to life imprisonment. Omitoye Rufus, a corporal, was handed a 15-year jail term.

The soldiers were found guilty of offences ranging from theft and unlawful dealing in ammunition to aiding the enemy — all punishable under the Armed Forces Act.

Ameh, an armourer at 7 Division Garrison, was said to have conspired with a deceased colleague to steal ammunition from the division’s armoury.

He worked with police officers to conceal weapons in bags of beans and smuggle them to Enugu and Ebonyi for criminals.

Abdullahi said bank records showed over 100 transactions linked to the trade between July 2022 and June 2024.

Musa, while serving as an armourer of 195 Battalion, was said to have collaborated with Ocheje and police officers to sell an AK-47 rifle and large quantities of ammunition.

Records showed he collected more than ₦500,000. He was arrested while attempting to sell more ammunition.

Abdullahi revealed that Rufus sold 40 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition to a police officer.

Ocheje, deployed at forward operating base Molai, was found guilty of diverting ammunition during communal clashes at the persuasion of a police officer. He also stole an AK-47 rifle belonging to a colleague.

The court held that their actions directly endangered military operations and national security, amounting to “aiding the enemy”.

Abdullahi condemned the convicts, describing them as “bad eggs” who betrayed the trust, discipline, and honour expected of soldiers in the fight against insurgency.

He restated the army’s zero-tolerance stance on the sale of arms or ammunition to adversaries “in whatever form or guise”.

Source:
https://www.intelregion.com/news/3-soldiers-bag-life-imprisonment-for-selling-arms-to-terrorists

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Otilor

This is serious.
Why would personnel entrusted with the safety of this country continue to jeopardize it.
It's unacceptable

Sentences well served. Let them look up the ladder as well for more culprits

These kind of punishments should be extended to their seniors.

iampeterben:
Source:
https://www.intelregion.com/news/3-soldiers-bag-life-imprisonment-for-selling-arms-to-terrorists

Sabotage everywhere. Same sell out military men are the loudest to criticize the government.
An identified group will blame Tinubu for it.

This is sad on all angles.
What prison are military men sent to? Same prison like civilians or a special one for soldiers?.

At least we are gradually knowing those who are responsible for the insecurities that never stop or ends....

What is making the beans rotten is inside the beans.....

That is not to say that the federal government is doing the best for our security forces o...

They need to upgrade their welfare...

A well fed soldier will be happy to defend the nation without compromise...

That being said.... There is no excuse to commit such a crime...

All hands must be on deck to make Nigeria great again

This unbelievable that officers trusted with national security should behave and act in such a way.

Many animations in the hands of criminals, makes you to ask, how did this arms got to public

Normal normal, nothing new. Military commanders and amourer are complicit too.

Dirty cops surplus

Serve them right. for peanut, they will spend the rest of their life in prison.

It’s quite commendable our military courts have been active recently

Here in my estate, a lance corporal built a bungalow way above his means, has two cars, an highlander and a corrola, I know the salary of those in the armed forces, I'm always wary of this guy as I'm certain he's not into anything good, this is what most of them do, how they make their money, blood! Many of them are into this, often in partnership with the Nigerian police.

Yet fulani! terrorists that kill and maim are doing press conferences and shaking hands with the military leadership

Babatundehy:
Here in my estate, a lance corporal built a bungalow way above his means, has two cars, an highlander and a corrola, I know the salary of those in the armed forces, I'm always wary of this guy as I'm certain he's not into anything good, this is what most of them do, how they make their money, blood! Many of them are into this, often in partnership with the Nigerian police.

Most of them na kidnappers for night and army during the day

Wetin pain me most be say all the soldiers are either ldoma or lgala. Giving us bad name.

Mubiola360:
Sabotage everywhere. Same sell out military men are the loudest to criticize the government.
An identified group will blame Tinubu for it.

Be courageous and mention the name of the identified group. No dey fear no one will beat you, just have some balls and mention the name of the identified group.

iampeterben:
Source:
https://www.intelregion.com/news/3-soldiers-bag-life-imprisonment-for-selling-arms-to-terrorists

Worthy of note that the life jailbirds are Christians (at least in name) and Southerner (or not core Northerners)!

Quick to make an example out of other ranks. What about the Officers looting funds meant for the fight against insurgency?

Say naija policeman no go involve ke
E for shock me,

criminals everywhere from top to bottom

Gotocourt:
Normal normal, nothing new. Military commanders and amourer are complicit too.

Dirty cops surplus

You called it normal normal?
High ranking officers cannot be left alone if found ong the them.

Double agents
These ones jus snitched on their job

PAWG:
Sentences well served. Let them look up the ladder as well for more culprits

More culprits would be among even the military leadership hierarchy. Don't be surprised.

PAWG:
Sentences well served. Let them look up the ladder as well for more culprits

Those are not the main culprit, they're just the scapegoats. The main culprits are the ones dishing out the sentence and walking fruitlessly with walking sticks and big belle.

stainzvill:
Quick to make an example out of other ranks. What about the Officers looting funds meant for the fight against insurgency?

Buhari punish some ..... and ultimately Bade died, killed by armed men he refused to flush

Same bokoharam dat u gave repentant route.. mtchewww