ABUJA, Nov 18 (Reuters) - A Nigerian military court sentenced six soldiers to life imprisonment on Tuesday for selling machine guns, rifles and other weapons to militants and criminals in the oil-producing Niger Delta. Military judge Bala Usara said the soldiers, led by Major Suleiman Akubo, stole more than 7,000 weapons worth around 100 million naira ($850,000) and sold them to Niger Delta militants and gangs from 2000 to 2006. Usara said buyers included Sunny Okah, brother of Henry Okah, the suspected leader of Nigeria's most prominent militant group the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) who is currently on trial for treason and gun-running. Sunny Okah was the lead prosecution witness and is likely to face trial in a federal court since he is not in the military. "This should serve as a deterrent to others who are contemplating following in their footsteps," said army spokesman Brigadier General Emeka Onwamaegbu. Violence in the Niger Delta, home to Nigeria's 2 million barrels per day (bpd) oil sector, has slashed a fifth of the OPEC member's oil production since early 2006. Criminal gangs have taken advantage of the breakdown in law and order, profiting from an illegal trade in stolen crude worth millions of dollars a day. Security experts and rights groups say some members of the security forces and local politicians are sharing in the spoils, making the problem harder for the government to contain. (For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: http://africa.reuters.com/ ) (Reporting by Camillus Eboh; Writing by Randy Fabi; Editing by Nick Tattersall and Jon Boyle)
