Justice Deinde Isaac Dipeolu of a Lagos Federal High Court, today convicted and sentenced a woman, Amupiton Adedayo, to two weeks Community Service, for illegal trading of new naira currencies.
The court also forfeited the sum of N20, 000, 00, being the profit the convict made from the illegal act, and her POS machine.
Justice Dipeolu gave the above verdicts on the convict, after she was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a two count-charge of illegal hawking of Naira currency.
The prosecutor, Abubakar Wara, 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/22 820001 to AE 820760 and AM/20 092094 series, AL/15 180869 respectively.
He told the court that the offences committed by the convict contravened sections 21 (4) and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (Establishment) Act. 2007.
The convict, after the charge was read to her, she confessed to be involved in the New Naira racketeering and started doing it sometimes in December, 2023.
She thereafter pleaded guilty to the charges.
Upon her plea of guilty, the prosecutor reviewed the facts of the case, as well, tendered some exhibits which include: the witness confessional statement, the POS 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 lawyer to the convict, pleaded with the court to tamper justice with mercy in sentencing her, claimed that the convict was a first time offender who did not have any previous record of crimes.
The convict’s lawyer also pleaded with the court to give the convict non-custodian sentence rather than custodian sentence.
Justice Dipeolu in his judgment, sentenced the convict to two weeks Community Service, while also ordered that the sum of N20000 and the POS machine be forfeited to the Federal government of Nigeria.
The judge however ordered that the sum of N960, 000 balance be return to the convict, after completing the sentencing.