– Two Nigerians have been sentenced to two years in jail for attempted cash smuggling.
– The two men tried to smuggle cash worth over N1 billion to Ethiopia.
– The trial judge ordered the convicted men to forfeit the cash to the federal government.
Two Nigerian citizens, Ojukwu Nnamdi Roland and Ngene Linus Chibuike, have been convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment for smuggling by Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court in Lagos.
They were arrested at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos while attempting to smuggle $5.5 million (roughly N1.1 billion) out of the country.
Rowland was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on 22 October, 2015, for failing to declare US$3 million during outbound clearance for a flight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Rowland pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge of smuggling against him and the matter went to a full trial.
Ojukwu Nnamdi Roland and Ngene Linus Chibuike
Justice Buba subsequently found him guilty and sentenced him to two years imprisonment.
He also ordered the convict to forfeit the entire sum he had tried to smuggle out of the country to the federal government of Nigeria.
Chibuike, on the other hand, was arraigned on 22 October 2015 for falsely declaring the sum of US$11,500 out of the $2.5 million he was illegally carrying in an attempt to reach Addis Abada.
Chibuike had pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge raised against him but Justice Buba found him guilty and sentenced him to two years imprisonment as well.
He also ordered that the convict should forfeit the money he failed to declare to the customs officials to the federal government.
Nigeria and its citizens have an unfortunate reputation around the world for criminality, including international smuggling.
President Muhammadu Buhari has even spoken at length on the issue, leading many Nigerians to respond furiously.
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