By Editor A Federal High Court sitting in Kano has sentenced one Abdulrahman Sani Adam to three years’ imprisonment for diverting three containers and forging customs documents.
In addition to the sentence, the court ordered that the diverted container be forfeited to the Federal Government for subsequent auctioning.
Adam was charged with criminal diversion and forgery after he was found guilty of diverting a container under customs supervision and falsifying official documents to conceal the act.
The court, presided over by Justice Musa Sale, also gave the convict an option of a ₦3 million fine.
Speaking to journalists shortly after the judgment, the Director of Legal Services, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Smart Akande, who served as the prosecution counsel, said the convict’s actions deprived the Federal Government of revenue that should have been duly remitted.
Akande said the successful prosecution and sentencing of the offender were intended to serve as a strong deterrent to others involved in similar illegal activities, including diverting customs-controlled containers and bypassing due procedures.
He expressed satisfaction with the judgment, noting that it was in line with the provisions of the law and reinforces the commitment of the Nigeria Customs Service to tackling revenue leakages, document forgery, and other offences within the import-export chain.