The General Court Martial of the Nigerian Army has found Major Gen Hakeem Oladapo Otiki guilty on five count charge.
He will also be demoted and dismissed from the army, though he is due to retire this year.
Otiki was General Officer Commanding 8 division (GOC) of the Nigerian Army in Sokoto.
He had sent some soldiers to haul money from Sokoto to Abuja when the money got missing in transit. The soldiers stole some of the money, which triggered an alarm about it’s source.
The Court was headed by the Chief of Policy and Plans, Army, Lt. Gen Lamidi Adeosun which found Otiki guilty of disobedience to service orders, theft of public property, diverting operational money and engaging in private businesses.
The Court also ordered that all monies totalling N135.8million, $6,600 recovered by the Special Investigation Bureau be returned to the coffers of the Nigerian Army.
All the sentences, however, are subject to approval by the army council.
The lead counsel to Major General Otiki, Barr. Israel Olorundare SAN pleaded for clemency and urged the Nigerian Army to temper justice with mercy.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria told the court that the accused senior officer had returned the sum of N100million which was stolen by the soldiers detailed to escort the money to Kaduna and that some of the projects for which the sum of N150million was released to General Otiki were either completed or about to be completed.
He also pleaded on the General’s behalf on the basis that he is the breadwinner for his family and has his built his career for 45 years.
General Okiti who’s critically ill was brought to the court on wheelchair.