‘N400m’ Theft: Army Court Martial Fires Gen Otiki with ‘Disgrace and Dishonour’

Pat Stevens/

The General Court Martial set up by the Nigerian Army to try the former General Officer Commanding 8 Division, Sokoto, Maj. General Hakeem Otiki, has found him guilty on all five counts.

At its sitting at the army headquarters garrison in Abuja yesterday, the GMC headed by the Chief of Policy and Plans, Nigerian Army, Lt. Gen. Lamidi Adeosun found Otiki guilty of disobedience to service orders, missing fund and theft of public property, among others and, consequently, ordered his dismissal from service “with disgrace and dishonour.”

A part of his sentence include a reduction of his rank to brigadier general with two years seniority on count three and severe reprimand on count four.

The panel also ordered that various sums of money, including $6,600, said to have been recovered from him be returned to the coffers of the Nigerian army.

The sentence of the court martial is however subject to approval by the army council.

Otiki was charged under the armed forces act (AFA) after soldiers in his detail reportedly stole money estimated to be N400 million. His trial started in September, last year.

He was reported to have sent some soldiers under his command to transport some cash to Kaduna by road from where it would be taken to Abuja.

A military aircraft was said to be waiting in Kaduna but the soldiers plotted to steal the money during a stop in Kaduna and subsequently deserted the army.

Otiki was then arrested after the theft and placed under house arrest until his trial by the court-martial.

When his trial started in 2019, Femi Oyebanjo, a retired major and counsel to Otiki, kicked against his client’s prosecution under Adeosun’s leadership.

He had told the panel head: “We have it on good authority that you bear grudge against our client. We have this deep feeling that he may not get a fair trial under your leadership.”

There were speculations the friction between the duo was regarding who would succeed Tukur Buratai as chief of army staff.

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