Nigerian Army Court Jails 3 Soldiers For Life Over Arms Sale, Diversion To Terrorists
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 Acting General Officer Commanding 7 Division and Commander, Sector 1 Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), Brigadier General Ugochukwu Unachukwu, delivered the judgment on September 18, 2025, at the Headquarters Theatre Command Officers’ Mess in Maiduguri.
Brigadier General Mohammed Abdullahi, who presided over the tribunal, said the soldiers were guilty of theft, unlawful dealing in ammunition, and aiding the enemy — offences punishable under the Armed Forces Act, CAP A20 LFN 2004.
Those convicted are Sergeant Raphael Ameh, Sergeant Ejiga Musa, and Lance Corporal Patrick Ocheje — all slammed with life sentences. Corporal Omitoye Rufus bagged a 15-year jail term.
According to court documents, Sgt. Ameh, while serving as an armourer with 7 Division Garrison, worked with late Lance Corporal Ogbogo Isaac and some operatives of the Police Mobile Force (PMF) to divert ammunition from the armoury.
The weapons, usually hidden inside bags of beans, were trafficked to Enugu and Ebonyi States for use by criminals. Bank records linked Ameh to over 100 shady transactions between July 2022 and June 2024.
Sgt. Ejiga, armourer with 195 Battalion, conspired with LCpl. Ocheje and Inspector Francis Manasseh of 30 PMF to sell an AK-47 rifle and large caches of ammunition. He was eventually caught while attempting to sell weapons to another PMF operative.
Cpl. Omitoye was found guilty of selling 40 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition to Inspector Enoch Nwokolobia, while LCpl. Ocheje, deployed at Forward Operating Base Molai, was convicted for repeatedly pilfering ammunition and selling to militias during communal clashes. He was also indicted for stealing a fellow soldier’s rifle.
Delivering judgment, Brig. Gen. Abdullahi said the actions of the convicted soldiers amounted to “a grave betrayal of trust and discipline, a direct threat to national security, and an act of aiding the enemy.”
He warned that the Army would not tolerate such criminality, stressing that misconduct undermines morale and tarnishes the institution’s image.
“The Nigerian Army remains committed to accountability, professionalism and justice. Misconduct will be met with stiff sanctions, while gallantry and professionalism will be duly rewarded,” he said.
The Army, while reaffirming its zero-tolerance stance on arms diversion, vowed that those who compromise their oath of service would face the full weight of the law.
