By Jude-Ken Ojinnaka
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Monday convicted and sentenced a woman, Amupiton Adedayo to two weeks Community Service, for illegally trading on new Naira currencies.
The court also ordered forfeiture of the sum of N20,000, 00, being the profit made by the convict from the illegal Naira currency business act, and her POS machine.
Justice Deinde Isaac Dipeolu convicted the woman following her arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a two count-charge of illegal hawking of Naira currency.
According to the prosecutor, Abubakar Wara, he informed the court that the convict was arrested on February 17, 2024, at a social gathering held at Macellina Place Event Centre, Ikeja, Lagos, where she was hawking N980,000 of N500 notes, and N980,000 of N200 notes.
The prosecutor informed the court that the currencies hawked by the convict are with serial numbers AE/22820001 to AE 820760 and AM/20092094 series, AL/15180869 respectively.
According to the charge, the offences committed by the convict contravene Sections 21 (4) and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (Establishment) Act. 2007.
After listening to the charge preferred against her, the defendant confessed to the crime of the New Naira racketeering and that she started doing the business sometimes in December, 2023. Consequently, she pleaded guilty to the charges.
Upon her plea of guilty, the prosecutor reviewed the facts of the case, and as well, tendered some exhibits which include: the witness confessional statement, the POS machine and the Naira currency she was arrested with.
Upon conclusion of the review of facts of the charge and tendering of the exhibits, which were admitted by the court, the prosecutor urged the court to convict and sentence her in accordance with the section of the Act she was charged with.
But counsel to the convict, pleaded with the court to tamper justice with mercy in sentencing her, submitting that the convict was a first time offender who did not have any previous record of crimes.
The convict’s counsel also pleaded with the court to consider non-custodial sentence for the convict instead of custodian sentence.
In his judgement, Justice Dipeolu sentenced the convict to two weeks Community Service, while also ordered that the sum of N20,000 and the POS machine belonging to the convict be forfeited to the Federal government of Nigeria.
The judge however ordered that the sum of N960,000 balance be returned to the convict, after completing the community service terms.
