A Special Court-Martial of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri has convicted four soldiers for illegal arms dealing and aiding terrorists in the North-East.

 

The trial, convened by Brigadier-General Ugochukwu Unachukwu, Acting General Officer Commanding 7 Division and Commander of Sector 1, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), was held at the Officers’ Mess, Theatre Command Headquarters.

 

Delivering judgment, the court’s president, Brigadier-General Mohammed Abdullahi, sentenced Sergeants Raphael Ameh, Ejiga Musa, and Lance Corporal Patrick Ocheje to life imprisonment, while Corporal Omitoye Rufus received a 15-year jail term.

 

The soldiers were found guilty of offences including theft, unlawful dealing in ammunition, and aiding the enemy, all punishable under the Armed Forces Act.

 

Details of Offences

 

Raphael Ameh, an armourer at 7 Division Garrison, conspired with a deceased colleague to steal ammunition and smuggle it to Enugu and Ebonyi concealed in bags of beans. Bank records linked him to over 100 transactions between July 2022 and June 2024.

 

Ejiga Musa, while serving as an armourer of 195 Battalion, collaborated with Ocheje and police officers to sell an AK-47 rifle and large quantities of ammunition, collecting over ₦500,000 before his arrest while attempting another sale.

 

Patrick Ocheje, deployed at Forward Operating Base Molai, diverted ammunition during communal clashes and stole an AK-47 rifle belonging to a colleague.

 

Omitoye Rufus sold 40 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition to a police officer.

 

 

Brig.-Gen. Abdullahi declared their actions a grave threat to military operations and national security, describing the convicts as “bad eggs” who betrayed the trust, discipline, and honour expected of soldiers.

 

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