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The Digest:

A Special Court-Martial in Maiduguri has sentenced three soldiers to life imprisonment for illegally selling arms and ammunition in collaboration with police officers and terrorist groups. The convictions, delivered at the Operation Hadin Kai headquarters, highlight grave breaches of military trust and national security by personnel tasked with combating insurgency in Nigeria’s northeast.

Key Points:
  • Sergeants Raphael Ameh and Ejiga Musa, and Lance Corporal Patrick Ocheje received life sentences.
  • Corporal Omitoye Rufus was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
  • The soldiers were convicted of theft, unlawful arms dealing, and aiding the enemy.
  • Sergeant Ameh stole ammunition from the 7 Division armory and smuggled it to Enugu and Ebonyi.
  • Bank records showed over 100 suspicious transactions linked to Ameh between 2022 and 2024.
  • Sergeant Musa received over ₦500,000 from selling an AK-47 rifle and ammunition.
  • The court described the soldiers as "bad eggs" who betrayed military trust and discipline.
The sentencing underscores the Nigerian Army’s efforts to purge internal compromise, yet it also reveals alarming levels of collusion between security agents and those they are mandated to fight.

Sources: Channels TV