A Nigerian soldier, Adamu Mohammed, has been sentenced to death by hanging by a General Court Martial (GCM) sitting at the Headquarters of the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army in Enugu for the murder of his girlfriend, Hauwa Ali.
The court, presided over by Brigadier-General Sadisu Buhari, found Mohammed guilty of murder, an offence punishable under Section 106(a) of the Armed Forces Act, Cap A20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
“In the interest of societal decorum and justice for the deceased, the law had to be applied to its fullest,” Buhari stated while delivering the judgement.
Mohammed has been in military detention since April 2024, after he was arrested for the killing of Ali within the premises of the Airborne and Amphibious Unit of the 82 Division, where he was serving. The body of the deceased was discovered by the daughter of a senior army officer near the officers’ quarters.
Following the incident, widespread speculation suggested that Mohammed may have once been a member of the Boko Haram insurgent group who later repented, joined the Civilian Joint Task Force, and was subsequently enlisted into the Nigerian Army in 2021.
However, responding to the rumours, Army spokesperson Major General Onyema Nwachukwu firmly denied the claims, stating that the Nigerian Army does not enlist former insurgents into its ranks.
