Court martial convicts colonel of fraud

THE General Court Martial (GCM) of the
Nigerian Army Tuesday found Lieutenant
Colonel R. A Ahangba, with service number
N9827, guilty on two count charges of
fraudulently obtaining N150 million from the
Bayelsa State government in 2011 and conduct
prejudice to service discipline.
Ahangba, who was also charged for
disobedience to standing order, was sentenced
to seven years imprisonment by the court
martial, which concluded trial yesterday.
The President of the GCM, Brigadier General
Edward Nze and the Judge Advocate, Captain
Chukwudi Okonkwo, headed the court martial.
It was revealed during proceedings that the
convict obtained the money from the Bayelsa
State government to help facilitate voting for
the former governor, Timipre Sylva, in the
2011gubernatorial election.
Nze said the decision of the court was subject
to superior authority, which, in this case, is
the Army headquarters, adding that the officer
serving the sentence automatically means he is
dismissed from the Nigerian Army.
He said: "As a rule, ex-convicts don't serve in
the armed forces and so if the superior
authorities enforce the decision of the court, it
automatically means that the officers has been
dismissed."
The convicted officer was arrested in 2012
following a letter from the late former
National Security Adviser (NSA), General
Andrew Azazi, which was directed to the Army
headquarters, stating that the officer
impersonated him to obtain money from the
Bayelsa State government.
The Guardian gathered that the convict had
contacted some officials of the state
government falsely on behalf of Azazi and
asked for N150million to execute projects in
some of the communities in Ekeremo Local
Government and in turn would secure electoral
votes for their principal officer.
According to the evidence of bank documents
of the convict, which was tendered as exhibit
in the court, the state government had actually
transferred the said amount into his bank
account, which he diverted into obtaining
shares from First Bank and UBA registrars.
From the lump sum of money he fraudulently
obtained, he was said to have given N5million
and N8million to one Lieutenant Agaku and
another unidentified lady in the bank.
Investigations revealed that although the
money was intended to facilitate some
community projects, the convict had no
intention of executing them as he speedily
moved the money to his private account.
While reading the findings of the court, Nze
said: "The court has no doubt in mind that the
accused person suggested the projects to
officials of the Bayelsa State government from
the evidence before this court.
"Again, the evidence before this court showed
that he collected the said money from the
state government as shown by bank documents
tendered as exhibit P7 to P10. Also evidence
before the court shows that the NSA never
used the money."
"Thus he never assisted the Bayelsa State
government in winning or canvassing for votes
in his state as alleged by the convict."
While admitting that the decision of the court
is binding on their client, the lead counsel for
the accused, Ifeanyi Mmaduabuchi of Femi
Falana Chambers, said they would appeal the
verdict.
"We are aggrieved that we are going to Appeal
Court but as at now, the judgment is binding.
However, there are certain issues we have
brought up that were not addressed."