Kano Businessman Jailed for Three Years Over Container Diversion and Forgery

A Federal High Court sitting in Kano has sentenced a 41-year-old businessman, Abdulrahman Adam, to three years in prison for diverting a container loaded with goods worth millions of naira and forging Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) documents to evade statutory duties.

Dependable NG reports that Adam, who resides in the Gwammaja area of Kano, was arraigned by Customs on a one-count charge of diversion and forgery, an offense contrary to Section 228(1) of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023. The defendant, who was found guilty of the charges, had pleaded guilty when the charge was read to him in court.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Musa Shua’ibu found Adam guilty and ordered that he serve three years in prison, with an option of a N3 million fine. The court also ordered the immediate forfeiture of the diverted containers to the Federal Government for auctioning.

The court noted that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and stressed that Adam’s actions undermined government revenue and the integrity of the Customs clearance system.

Speaking after the judgment, the Director of Legal Services of the Nigeria Customs Service, Smart Akande, said Adam’s actions deprived the Federal Government of legitimate customs duties. He described the ruling as a “landmark judgment” and a strong warning to those involved in diverting containers and falsifying Customs documents to defraud the nation.