The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission today March 9, 2017 secured
the conviction of four counterfeit currency dealers before Justice Simon
Amobeda of the Federal High Court Kebbi on a four count charge of
conspiracy and possession of counterfeit currency.
The convicts, Usman Ahmed, Isiyaku Mohammed, Mohammed Abubakar Badadi and
Rilwanu Abdullahi were arrested by officers of the Nigeria Security and
Civil Defence Corps at Birnin Kebbi while in possession of a sum of
N583,000 (Five Hundred and Eighty Three Thousand Naira Only) in fake one
thousand Naira notes.
The case was eventually transferred to the commission for further
investigation.
After listening to the charge, all the accused persons pleaded guilty to
the four count charge.
In view of the plea of the accused persons, prosecution counsel, N.K Ukoha
urged the court to convict them accordingly.
Justice Amobeda convicted all the accused persons as charged
Before sentence was delivered, counsel for the defendants S.B Ka’oje
pleaded with the court to tamper justice with mercy given that the convicts
are first time offenders with no criminal record. He added that the
convicts are all family men with children and many defendants.
In his ruling, Justice Amobeda sentenced the convicts to five years
imprisonment on each of the four count charge. The sentence is to run
concurrently and also to begin from the day of their arrest.
One of the charge read that “You Usman Ahmed, Isiyaku Mohammed, Mohammed
Abubakar Badadi and Rilwanu Abdullahi on or about 8th July, 2016 in Birnin
Kebbi within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court did conspire among
yourselves to do an unlawful act to wit; being in possession of 583 pieces
of 1000 Nigeria Naira Notes and thereby committed an offense contrary and
punishable under section 516 of the Criminal Code”.