By Jude-Ken Ojinnaka
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Monday convicted and sentenced an illegal Bureau De Change operator, Abubakar Mohammed to six months imprisonment for engaging in unlawful foreign exchange transaction instead of operating through official foreign exchange market.
The trial judge Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke convicted the defendant after he pleaded guilty to one count charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
However, Justice Aneke gave the convict an option of N150,000 and 100hours community service in lieu of prison term of six months.
According to the charge marked FHC/L/364c /24, dated May 27th 2024, Abubakar Mohammed was said to have about May 11, 2024 at Ojodu Berger in Lagos State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, unlawfully engaged in a foreign exchange transaction.
The offence committed by the convict contravenes Section 11(i)(a) of the National Economic Intelligence Committee Establishment Act 1994 and punishable under Section 11(2) of the same Act.
The charge was interpreted to Abubakar Mohammed in Hausa language as he told the court that he did not understand the charge in English language. After the interpretation of the charge, he owned committing the offence and pleaded guilty to the one count charge.
In view of his plea of guilty, the prosecutor Chinenye Okezie called a witness Mr Bolaji Temitope Aje, an investigator with the EFCC.
Testifying before the court, the witness said that the Committee received intelligence report on activities of some individuals who carry out illegal Bureau De Change activities on the streets of Lagos.
“Following the report, and special team was set up to monitor and observe this illegal act.
“Intelligence gathering and surveillance was carried out in Ojodu Berger area of Lagos State and in the process the defendant Abubakar Mohammed was arrested while carrying out this illegal act.
“He was taken to our office and he volunteered his statement under caution and admitted to carrying out this illegal act. He further stated that he did not register with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as a Bureau De Change agent and he usually carry out the Bureau De Change activities in Ojodu Berger area of Lagos ”
The prosecution tendered the judicial statement of the defendant as exhibit and urged the court to convict and sentence him as charged. The defendant was accordingly convicted by the court.
Pleading for leniency, the defence counsel urged the court to grant the convict an custodial sentence. She said that the convict is remorseful and has learnt his lessons. Besides, he pleaded guilty without wasting the precious time of the court.
Passing the sentence, the judge said that having gone through the charge and exhibit tendered, the plea of the defendant without wasting the time of court, the allocutus by defence counse, he is inclined to tamper justice with mercy.
“However I am not un-mindful of harm the activities of the defendant and others in similar crime have done to the image of this country before the international community.
“Therefore you Abubakar Mohammed is sentenced to prison term of six months from May 11, 2024 or N150,000 fine to be paid into the Federal Government consolidated account, and100 hours community service “.