By Harriet Tornguvan
The Supreme Court of Nigeria has ruled in favour of a group of military veterans in a long-running legal dispute involving landed property in Abuja and the restoration of the rank of Major General Ibrahim Sani, bringing years of litigation to an end.
The judgment, delivered on January 30, 2026, dismissed an appeal filed by the Nigerian Army and affirmed the earlier decision of the Court of Appeal of Nigeria which had set aside the ruling of a General Court Martial and ordered a retrial of the matter.
The case, marked SC/1497C/2019, centred on a parcel of land identified as Plot 2303, Asokoro Cadastre A04, located behind Mogadishu Cantonment (formerly Sani Abacha Barracks) in Abuja.
The land had originally been allocated to military veterans who served the country in various operations, including peacekeeping missions under the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) and other national assignments. According to the veterans, the property formed part of their welfare and post-service entitlements in recognition of their sacrifices during active duty.
The dispute arose from allegations relating to the misuse of public service property, falsification of documents and other offences under the Armed Forces Act, which led to the arraignment of Sani, who at the time served as Chief of Transformation and Innovation at Army Headquarters.
He was tried before a General Court Martial on a nine-count charge. The court martial found him guilty on several counts, reduced his rank and ordered restitution of funds allegedly contributed by military veterans for infrastructure development, although he was acquitted on some charges.
However, the decision was later challenged at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which in April 2019 nullified the court martial’s ruling and ordered that the matter be retried.
Dissatisfied with the appellate court’s decision, the Nigerian Army proceeded to the Supreme Court, arguing that the Court of Appeal erred in overturning the court martial’s judgment.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Obande Festus Ogbuinya held that the appeal lacked merit and should be dismissed.
“On the whole, having resolved the two issues against the appellant, the destiny of the appeal is obvious. It is destitute of any morsel of merit and deserves the reserved penalty of dismissal,” the justice ruled.
He subsequently affirmed the decision of the Court of Appeal delivered on April 18, 2019, which had set aside the court martial ruling and ordered a retrial.
Legal experts explained that the phrase “set aside,” as upheld by the apex court, effectively means that the earlier judgment of the court martial has been vacated and rendered void.
The Supreme Court also addressed a preliminary objection raised by the respondent seeking the dismissal of the appeal on grounds that some of the issues presented were incompetent. After reviewing arguments from both parties, the court dismissed the objection and proceeded to determine the substantive appeal.
The ruling was greeted with excitement among the affected veterans, many of whom described the verdict as the end of a long and exhausting legal battle.
Some of the beneficiaries of the land allocation, as well as families of deceased veterans, expressed gratitude to the judiciary for what they described as a just and fair outcome.
Relatives of some veterans who died while awaiting the resolution of the case said the judgment brings honour to their memory and recognition of their service to the nation.
Legal observers say the decision reinforces the role of the courts in protecting the rights and welfare of military personnel, particularly in matters relating to their post-service entitlements.
For the veterans involved, the verdict represents not only a legal triumph but also a symbolic victory after years of uncertainty and struggle for justice.
