The Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) has said that the service did not detain Maj. Gen. Umaru Mohammed, the former Group Managing Director, Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Army Properties Limited, illegally.
The Public Relations Officer, NCoS FCT command, Mr Samson Duza, said this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.
Duza said that the Service was a responsible security agency set up by the laws of the federation, with the mandate of keeping the legally interned.
According to him, the attention of the Command has been drawn to a report by a whistle blowing group demanding for the release of Maj. Gen. Umaru Mohammed, purporting that he was detained without a warrant.
“The Service only admits persons legally interned by a competent court of law or a military court martial.
“In the case of the said General, he was legally detained by a military court martial, with a valid warrant.
“It is rather unfortunate for the said group, acting without knowledge of how the system works, to feed the public with false information born out of crass ignorance.
“Asking the NCoS to release the Major General, who was legally interned by a military court martial, is aberration to the criminal justice process,” he said.
Duza enjoined the public to disregard the call by the said group as it was committed to safe and humane custody of all persons committed in its care.
The Nigerian Army Special Court Martial had convicted the former Group Managing Director of Nigerian Army Properties Limited (NAPL), Maj.-Gen. Umaru Mohammed, to seven years imprisonment on October 10, 2023.
The court also ordered the convicted senior officer to refund $2.17 million and N1.06 billion being amount of monies he stole, back to the company’s coffers.
The officer was found guilty on 14 of the 18 count charges brought against him and the sentence was based on the provisions of the Criminal Code Act Cap C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, and section 174 of the Armed Forces Act cap 20 Laws, 2004.
