Money-Laundering: Naira Note Sellers Forfeit N354,000

Money-Laundering: Naira Note Sellers Forfeit N354,000

Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of a Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered the final forfeiture of N354, 000 (Three Hundred and Fifty Four Thousand Naira) only which was uncovered by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, during investigations into the N49 million intercepted at the Kaduna International Airport on March 13, 2017.

Oyebanji Steve, Taiye Omoniyi Oluwaleke, Risikat Taimiyu Titilayo, Fausat Oni, and Joshua Kisabo had laid claim to the N49 million and challenged the confiscation of the money by the EFCC.

During further investigation, one of the claimants led a team of operatives to Deidei, a suburb in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, where in the process of executing a search, some thugs had attacked operatives; but the attack was repelled by police officers on the team.

Subsequently, a bag containing the N354,000 was uncovered, abandoned by some persons suspected to be engaging in unlawful selling of new naira notes. The money was made up of N200 and N50 notes (mint) abandoned at the scene, which was confiscated and taken to the Kaduna office of the EFCC.

Since the seizure, nobody has come to claim the money. Hence, it was suspected to be proceeds of crime.

On March 13, 2018, Justice Dimgba granted an interim forfeiture order of the said amount following an ex parte motion filed by the EFCC.

Consequently, the EFCC moved a motion on notice for the final forfeiture of the money, having published the interim forfeiture order in the national newspapers, as ordered by the Court.

In his ruling on January 21, 2019, Justice Dimgba granted the final forfeiture of the money to the Federal Government.

In another development, EFCC, Ibadan zonal office, on January 22, 2019 re-arraigned Adeshina Taoheed Aderemi, Adekoya Abosede, and Ishola Abiodun Kazeem before Justice A. Olajide of the Oyo State High Court, sitting in Iyaganku, Ibadan, on an amended nine-count charge bordering on forgery, uttering and obtaining money by false pretence.

The defendants were earlier arraigned on August 30, 2018 before Justice R.B. Akintola of the state’s High Court on a seven-count charge bordering on forgery, uttering and obtaining money by false pretence.

One of the counts reads: “That you, Adeshina Taoheed Aderemi, Adekoya Abosede, Ishola Abiodun Kazeem and Odejobi Yussuf Olatunji (at large) sometimes in 2018 at Ibadan within the Ibadan Judicial Division with intent to defraud, obtained N250, 000 from Adesina Idowu falsely pretending that it was the cost price of Canadian Visa you have secured for him and thereby committed an offence”.

They pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.

Prosecuting counsel, A.I. Suleman, thereafter, applied for a trial date.

However, the defence counsel, Samuel C. Uzoelu, prayed the court to allow the second and third defendants continue on the earlier bail granted them by Justice Akintola, and told the court that he had filed a bail application for the first defendant, which was yet to be served on the prosecution.

Justice Olajide granted the second and third defendants bail on the same conditions earlier granted them on August 30, 2018, but ordered that the first defendant should be remanded in Agodi Prison, pending the hearing of his application.

The case has been adjourned to March 7, 2019 for “trial and hearing of the first defendant’s bail application”.

Tony Orilade
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity