Court Jails Man Six Months for Naira Abuse in Lagos

The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, May 23, 2025, secured the conviction and sentence of Okoli Frank Emeka to six months imprisonment for mutilation of the Naira notes before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.

The convict was arraigned on a one-count charge of tampering and matching on the Naira notes.

The charge reads: “That you, Okoli Frank Emeka, on the 18th day of August, 2024, at Al-moruf  Garden,  Isheri Olofin, Alimosho Local area of Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, whilst matching on the Naira notes during a social occasion,  tampered with the sum of N2,000, 000.00 (Two Million Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria, by matching on the same at the said occasion and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act, 2007.”

He pleaded guilty to the charge when it was read to him.

In view of his plea,  prosecution counsel, Z.B. Atiku reviewed the facts of the case through Sa’id Sada Sani, an investigative officer with the EFCC.

In his evidence, Sani told the court that the Commission generated an intelligence-driven investigation on a trending video in relation to Naira mutilation.

He added that “ A surveillance was carried out,  leading to the arrest of the defendant on May 15,2025.

“He was shown a video of him spraying the money and he made a statement regarding it.”

Consequently, the defendants’ extrajudicial statements and video recordings were tendered and admitted in evidence by the court.

Atiku, therefore, prayed the court to convict and sentence the defendant accordingly.

Justice Aneke convicted and sentenced Okoli to six months imprisonment, with an option of fine in the sum of N250,000 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira).