Nigerian Soldiers Jailed for Arms Deal with Terrorists

A Special Court-Martial in Maiduguri has sentenced three soldiers to life imprisonment and a fourth to 15 years for running an illegal arms syndicate involving police officers and terror groups. The convicted soldiers were accused of stealing weapons from military stockpiles and trafficking them to the southeast region of Nigeria.

The court, headed by Brigadier General Mohammed Abdullahi, found Sergeants Raphael Ameh, Ejiga Musa, and Lance Corporal Patrick Ocheje guilty of aiding the enemy, theft, and unlawful arms trading offences punishable under the Armed Forces Act. Corporal Omitoye Rufus received a 15-year sentence for his role in selling military-grade ammunition.

Investigations showed that Sergeant Ameh, previously an armourer with 7 Division Garrison, concealed weapons in sacks of beans to smuggle them across state lines. Bank records linked him to over 100 suspicious transactions within two years. Sergeant Musa and Lance Corporal Ocheje were also caught selling rifles and ammunition, while Rufus supplied 40 rounds to a police contact.

Brigadier General Abdullahi warned that such breaches threaten national security, affirming the Army’s commitment to purging disloyal personnel. He called for stricter adherence to ethics and vowed continued prosecution of those sabotaging the fight against insurgency.