A Special Court Martial (SCM) of the Nigerian Army has sentenced four personnel to prison for offences ranging from arms and ammunition racketeering to aiding and abetting the enemy.
The court, convened by Acting General Officer Commanding 7 Division and Sector 1 Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), Brigadier General Ugochukwu Unachukwu, delivered its verdict on Thursday, September 18, 2025, at the Headquarters Theatre Command Officers’ Mess in Maiduguri.
Presiding Judge, Brigadier General Mohammed Abdullahi, announced that Sgt. Raphael Ameh, Sgt. Ejiga Musa, and LCpl. Patrick Ocheje were sentenced to life imprisonment, while Cpl. Omitoye Rufus received a 15-year jail term. The soldiers pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including theft, unlawful dealing in ammunition, offences relating to service property, and aiding the enemy — all punishable under the Armed Forces Act (AFA) and other relevant laws.
Evidence presented in court revealed that Sgt. Ameh, an armourer with 7 Division Garrison, conspired with late LCpl. Ogbogo Isaac to divert ammunition from the Division’s arms store. He reportedly worked with officers of the 30 Police Mobile Force (PMF), concealing arms in bags of beans and transporting them to Enugu and Ebonyi for criminal use, receiving payments through over 100 bank transactions between July 2022 and June 2024.
Sgt. Ejiga Musa, serving as the main armourer of 195 Battalion, was found guilty of collaborating with LCpl. Ocheje and Inspector Francis Manasseh of 30 PMF to sell rifles and large quantities of ammunition, collecting over ₦500,000. He was arrested after attempting to sell ammunition to another police inspector.
Cpl. Rufus was convicted for selling 40 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition to a police officer, while LCpl. Ocheje was found guilty of stealing an AK-47 rifle and diverting ammunition to militias during communal clashes and to terrorist groups in collaboration with rogue police operatives.
Delivering judgment, Brig. Gen. Abdullahi said the soldiers’ actions endangered troops, undermined operations, and compromised national security, amounting to aiding the enemy.
He stressed that such conduct represented a betrayal of trust, discipline, and honor expected of soldiers, warning that the Nigerian Army maintains zero tolerance for unprofessional practices.
“The activities of these bad eggs erode discipline, undermine morale, and bring the service into disrepute,” Brig. Gen. Abdullahi said, reiterating the Army’s commitment to accountability and its stance against the illicit sale of arms in any form.