Abdulazeez Abdulwahab
JUSTICE Nicholas Oweibo of a Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Monday, 26 June 2023, convicted and sentenced the trio of Adekunle Akinsinde Alabi, Bakare Taofeek Ajibola and Olawepo Segun Ayinde to two years imprisonment each for currency counterfeiting to the tune of 269.000 USD.
They initially pleaded “not guilty” to the four-count charge preferred against them.
However, in the face of the overwhelming evidence against them, they changed their “not guilty” plea to “guilty”, thereby prompting the need to amend the charges.
Following their guilty plea, the prosecution counsel, G.C. Akaogu, called on Okara Godwin, an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to review the facts.
Okara told the court that the defendants were arrested sometime in January 2023.
“Upon their arrest, they wrote their statements, investigations were conducted and forensic evidence documented.”
Akaogu further applied to tender, in evidence, their extrajudicial statements, admission of confessional statement forms, counterfeit notes and forensic investigation documents from the EFCC laboratory.
Justice Oweibo admitted them as exhibits A, B, C, D and E and convicted the defendants as charged.
The defence counsel, Mercy Akhabue Ozumobi, pleaded for leniency, saying, “They are ignorant and were used. They are breadwinners in their homes and are remorseful of their actions.”
Justice Oweibo however sentenced the defendants to two years imprisonment each, effective from the date of arrest in January, with an option of a N500,000 fine.
The suspects were arrested by operatives of the NDLEA in collaboration with the EFCC on 19 January 2023 in the Oniru area of Lagos State, following intelligence reports received from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, (DEA).
Eighteen-Eleven Media