Justice Evelyn Anyadike of the Federal High Court in Ilorin, Kwara State, has convicted and sentenced three currency racketeers to varied prison terms for selling fresh naira notes to the public for commercial gain.
On Monday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) issued a statement on its Facebook page.
The prisoners are Asmau Sallah Wuraola, Owoduni Abdullahi Isa, and Shuaibu Rukayat.
They were detained on Monday, March 4, 2024, after pleading guilty to one-count distinct counts bordering on currency racketeering when they were arraigned by the commission’s Ilorin Zonal Command.
The count charge against Wuraola reads: “That you, Asmau Salah Wuraola, on the 17th day of February, 2024, at Arca Santa Event Center in Ilorin, Kwara State within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, did trade in Naira Notes issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria and thereby committed an Offence Contrary to Section 21 (4) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007 and punishable under Section 21 (1) of the same Act”.
They all pleaded not guilty to the charges read to them.
Based on their pleas, the prosecuting counsel, Innocent Mbachie, reviewed the facts of the cases and prayed the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
Justice Anyadike convicted and sentenced Wuraola to two months imprisonment with an option of fine of N50,000.
The court also ordered that the sum of N1,020,000 recovered from the convict be forfeited to the Federal Government while the POS machine recovered at the point of arrest be destroyed by the EFCC.
Isa and Rukayat were sentenced to six months imprisonment with an option of fine of N50,000.