How army officer convicted of sodomy avoided jail, got pardon, landed top university jobs

A former military officer convicted of sodomy by a General Court Martial in 1997 never served his five-year prison sentence, despite the Supreme Court upholding the conviction. Bello Magaji received a presidential pardon from former President Goodluck Jonathan years after the Supreme Court's affirmation. The Nigerian Army changed his dismissal to voluntary resignation, restored his entitlements, and issued a certificate of service.

Mr Magaji later pursued higher education and secured teaching positions in Nigeria and Uganda. Last year, he became Dean of the Faculty of Law at the American University of Nigeria in Yola. The university stated it was unaware of his conviction and is investigating. Mr Magaji maintains his innocence, telling Premium Times: "At no point did I serve any sentence pursuant to a conviction by a General Court Martial in 1997."