A Special Court Martial of the Nigerian Army, convened in Maiduguri, Borno State, has sentenced three soldiers to life imprisonment and another to 15 years in prison for their involvement in a dangerous arms and ammunition racket that supplied weapons to criminals and militias terrorizing communities.
Those sentenced to life imprisonment are Sergeant Raphael Ameh, Sergeant Ejiga Musa, and Lance Corporal Patrick Ocheje, while Corporal Omitoye Rufus received a 15-year jail term after being found guilty.
Presiding over the tribunal, Brigadier General Mohammed Abdullahi stated that the soldiers were convicted of theft, unlawful dealing in ammunition, and aiding the enemy—offences punishable under the Armed Forces Act, CAP A20 LFN 2004.
According to court documents, Ameh, while serving as an armourer with 7 Division Garrison, worked with the late Lance Corporal Ogbogo Isaac and some operatives of the Police Mobile Force (PMF) to divert ammunition from the armoury.
Ejiga, an armourer with 195 Battalion, was accused of conspiring with Lance Corporal Ocheje and Inspector Francis Manasseh of 30 PMF to sell an AK-47 rifle and large caches of ammunition.
Meanwhile, Omitoye was found guilty of selling 40 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition to Inspector Enoch Nwokolobia, while Ocheje, deployed at Forward Operating Base Molai, was convicted of repeatedly pilfering ammunition and selling it to militias during communal clashes.
In delivering the judgment, Brig. Gen. Abdullahi described the soldiers’ actions as “a grave betrayal of trust and discipline, a direct threat to national security, and an act of aiding the enemy.”
He emphasized that the Army would not tolerate such criminal behavior, noting that misconduct undermines morale and damages the institution’s reputation.
“The Nigerian Army remains committed to accountability, professionalism, and justice. Misconduct will be met with strict sanctions, while gallantry and professionalism will be duly rewarded,” he stated.
Reaffirming its zero-tolerance stance on arms diversion, the Army vowed that anyone who compromises their oath of service will face the full weight of the law.
