Court Jails 3 For Currency Counterfeiting In Kwara

Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court, Ilorin, successful Kwara State, has sentenced 3 persons to assorted jailhouse presumption for being successful possession of fake naira notes.

The convicts are Olaitan Dina, a 46-year-old aluminium fabricator, Opeyemi Jeremiah, a bakery idiosyncratic and Adebayo Abiola.

They were arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and handed implicit to the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for probe and prosecution.

Investigations revealed that the naira notes successful their possession were fake, with respective bearing identical serial numbers.

The defendants, who were prosecuted connected abstracted charges, pleaded guilty.

One of the counts against Dina read: “That you, Olaitan Dina, sometime successful July, 2025, astatine Ilorin wrong the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court uttered 21 pieces of N1,000 notes to 1 Abiola Adebayo; 11 of them are with the aforesaid serial number: Y/64 235922; 5 are of serial number: Y/64 235926; 3 are with serial number: Y/64 235923 and 2 are with serial number: Y/64 235917, respectively, which you knew to beryllium counterfeits and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 5(1)(a) of Counterfeit Currency (Special Provisions) Act, 1983 and punishable nether Section 5 (1) (c) of the aforesaid Act.”

Also, 1 of the counts against Jeremiah read: “That you, Opeyemi Jeremiah, connected oregon astir 19th July, 2025, astatine Ilorin wrong the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court had successful your possession 14 pieces of N1,000 notes; 7 of them are with the aforesaid serial number: Y/64 235922; 3 are of serial number: Y/64 235926, 2 are with serial number: Y/64 235923 and 2 are with serial number: Y/64 235917, respectively, which you knew to beryllium counterfeit and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 5(1)(b) of Counterfeit Currency (Special Provisions) Act, 1983 and punishable nether Section 5 (1)(c) of aforesaid Act.”

The particulars of the complaint against Abiola read: “That you, Adebayo Mayowa Abiola connected oregon astir 19th July, 2025, astatine Ilorin with the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court did assistance 1 Afolabi Habeeb Adebayo to procure 7 pieces of N1,000 notes; 4 of them are with the aforesaid serial number: Y/64 235922; 2 are of serial number: Y/64 235926 and 1 is with serial number: Y/64 235923, respectively, which you knew to beryllium counterfeits and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 6(1) of Counterfeit Currency (Special Provisions) Act, 1983 and punishable nether Section 5(1)(c) of the aforesaid Act.

During the reappraisal of facts, the EFCC counsel, Aliyu Adebayo, called a detective, Abdulhakeem Sani Umar, who testified that the fake notes recovered from the convicts were sent to the commission’s office successful Abuja for forensic examination. The investigation confirmed them to beryllium counterfeit.

Adebayo tendered the fake currency and the defendants’ extra-judicial statements arsenic evidence, urging the tribunal to convict them arsenic charged.

In his judgment, Justice Awogboro held that the prosecution had proved its lawsuit beyond tenable doubt.

“The contented of naira counterfeiting is simply a superior transgression against the instrumentality and the society. I wonderment what this state is turning into. Many are progressive successful cause abuse, immoderate successful cybercrime and present others successful counterfeiting. The tribunal indispensable walk a condemnation that volition service arsenic a deterrent,” she said.

Consequently, Justice Awogboro sentenced Dina to 18 months imprisonment, portion Jeremiah and Abiola each received 15 months imprisonment.

All sentences are to tally from October 15, 2025, without the enactment of a fine.

The tribunal besides ordered that each the counterfeit notes recovered from the convicts beryllium forfeited to the national government.