WITTY GLOBAL BLOGS | THURSDAY FLAGSHIP EDITION Africa's $2 Billion Creative Economy Financing Push: What Nigerian Filmmakers, Musicians and Digital Creators Need to Know By Itoro Uwah | Thursday, November 12, 2026 CREATIVE ECONOMY | BUSINESS | TECHNOLOGY | INVESTMENT LAGOS, NIGERIA — Africa's creative economy is attracting renewed attention from development financiers and policymakers, following the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) WKND 2026 gathering in Lagos from November 5 to 8. Organised by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and hosted by Nigeria, the gathering brought together creative entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers and cultural-industry professionals to explore financing, intellectual property, technology and market access. Afreximbank's CANEX financing ambition has expanded to $2 billion, reflecting a growing institutional effort to support African cultural and creative enterprises. However, the figure must be understood correctly...
Military General Sentence To Seven Years Imprisonment By A Court-Martial
Yesterday, the Special Army Court-martial in Abuja sentenced Maj Gen Umaru Mohammed, former Group Managing Director of Nigerian Army Properties Limited, to seven years for fraud. President of the Special Court Martial, Major General James Myam, read the sentences and ordered the convicted senior officer to refund the Nigerian Army the sum of $2,053,200 and N1,690,000.
Mohammed was charged with eighteen counts of Stealing, forgery, misappropriation, and conspiracy. The sentences passed on him amounted to 49 years imprisonment, but the court announced that the sentences would run concurrently. As a result, the sentence was reduced to seven years.
The army general pleaded not guilty to all the allegations, but the court found him guilty of 14 out of 18 charges. Despite being considered a wealthy army general, the judge described Umar Mohammed's crimes as "the most fearless case of fraud ever recorded in the military." Additionally, Mohammed was accused of taking N74 million from the company's account on August 22, 2019.
The army authorities also alleged that the defendant directed one Maj Usman and another person, currently at large, to collect money from ship owners in dollars. However, Mohammed pleaded not guilty to the charges. The charges for which the senior officer was found guilty include Stealing, contrary to section 323, sub-section 7 of the Armed Forces Act. As a result, he was sentenced to five years in prison and ordered to pay back the sum of $1,045,400 to the Nigerian Army Properties Limited.
The defendant was found guilty of stealing on multiple counts. On Count 2, he was sentenced to five years imprisonment and ordered to pay back $400,800 to the Nigerian Army Properties Limited. Count 3 resulted in a similar sentence of five years imprisonment and an order to pay back $85,400. Count 4 also found the defendant guilty of Stealing, resulting in the same sentence of five years imprisonment and an order to pay back $35,300. Count 5, the defendant was sentenced to five years for stealing and ordered to pay back $55,500 to Nigerian Army Properties Limited. Finally, on Count 6, the defendant was found guilty of stealing and sentenced to five years imprisonment. He was ordered to pay back $46,500 to the Nigerian Army Properties Limited.
Mohammed has been acquitted and discharged of Counts 7, 10, 11, 12, and 17, including conspiracy to commit forgery, forge documents, copy, conduct against service discipline, and criminal misconduct. However, he has been found guilty of Count 8, which is forgery under section 362 of the Armed Forces Act, and has been sentenced to 7 years in prison. He has also been sentenced to five years in prison for Count 9. Additionally, he has been ordered to repay $430,800 to the Nigerian Army Properties Ltd. He has been found guilty of Count 13, theft, and has been sentenced to five years in prison.
Furthermore, he has been ordered to repay N74 million to the Nigerian Army Properties Limited. The General has been found guilty of Count 14, which is criminal misappropriation, and has been sentenced to two years. He has also been ordered to repay N590 million to FCC NAM Limited.
He was also found guilty of Count 16, criminal misappropriation, sentenced to two years imprisonment and ordered to pay back to the Nigerian Army Properties Limited the sum of N255 million.
The court convicted a general of criminal misappropriation and ordered him to pay back N550 million to FCC Nigerian Army Properties Ltd in Count 16. In Count 18, the senior officer was sentenced to two years imprisonment and ordered to pay back N172 million to the Nigerian Army Properties Limited for the same offence. The sentences are subject to confirmation by the Army Council, which is the appropriate confirming authority, according to Major General James Myam, the President of the Special Court Martial. The accused officer, the Executive Vice Chairman and GMD of the Nigerian Army Properties Limited pleaded not guilty and presented two witnesses while the prosecution called 24 witnesses.
During the trial, Major General Myam, the President of the Court, stated that the charges against the convicted General were brought under section 383(1) of the Criminal Code Act Cap c38 law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. These charges are punishable under section 390 (7) of the same Act and section 114 of the Armed Forces Act Cap A20 2004, among others. Additional charges were also brought against the General under section 383(1) of the Criminal Code Act Cap c38 law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which are also punishable under section 390 (7) of the Act and section 114 of the Armed Forces Act Cap A20 2004. After the sentences were handed down, the court adjourned sine die.
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