A Federal High Court in Kano on Wednesday sentenced Abdulrahman Sani Adam to three years in prison for diversion and forgery.
Justice Musa Sale, however, gave the convict the option of a ₦3 million fine.
The court ordered that the diverted containers be forfeited to the Federal Government for auctioning.
Adam was charged with criminal diversion and forgery after he was found guilty of diverting the containers under customs supervision and falsifying official documents to conceal the act.
Speaking to journalists after the judgment, the Director of Legal Services of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Smart Akande, who acted as prosecution counsel, said the convict’s actions deprived the Federal Government of revenue that should have been duly remitted.
Akande added that the successful prosecution and sentencing were intended as a strong deterrent to others involved in similar illegal activities, including the diversion of customs‑controlled containers and the bypassing of due procedures.
He expressed satisfaction with the judgment, noting that it was in line with the provisions of the law.
He said the judgment had reinforced the NCS’s commitment to tackling revenue leakages, document forgery and other offences within the import‑export chain.
