A General Court Martial (GCM) sitting at the Headquarters, 82 Division, Nigerian Army, Enugu, has sentenced Private Adamu Mohammed to death by hanging for the murder of his girlfriend, and Private Abubakar Yusuf to 10 years imprisonment for robbery.
Naija News reports that the GCM, inaugurated on February 18, 2025, by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division, Maj.-Gen. Oluyemi Olatoye, was convened to try military personnel for offences not triable summarily.
Delivering judgment, the President of the GCM, Brig.-Gen. Sadisu Buhari, said Private Mohammed, with service number 21NA/80/6365, was found guilty of killing his girlfriend, Miss Hauwa Ali.
The act, according to the court, violated Section 106(a) of the Armed Forces Act, Cap A20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
“In the interest of societal decorum and justice for the deceased, the law had to be applied to its fullest,” Brig.-Gen. Buhari stated.
Following a review of the evidence, service record, and plea for leniency, the court delivered a unanimous verdict sentencing Mohammed to death by hanging.
In a related ruling, Private Abubakar Yusuf, with service number 23NA/85/12116, was found guilty of robbery committed at a shopping mall in Enugu.
The offence, committed under Section 107(1)(b) of the Armed Forces Act, did not attract the maximum penalty due to the lack of unanimous consent among the court members.
Brig.-Gen. Buhari said Yusuf was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment under Section 140(3) of the same Act, with consideration given to mitigating pleas.
The GCM President noted that the verdicts are subject to confirmation by the appropriate military confirming authority.
Reacting to the judgment, Acting Deputy Director, 82 Division Army Public Relations, Lt.-Col. Jonah Unuakhulu, said the Nigerian Army remains committed to upholding discipline, ethics, and professional conduct.
He added that the wrongful actions of a few individuals do not reflect the values of the Nigerian Army, and that the institution takes decisive action to ensure accountability within its ranks.
