The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction of Bilikis Adeyinka for hawking naira notes in the Ikeja area of Lagos State.
In a statement posted on its Facebook page on Thursday, the EFCC disclosed that Adeyinka was apprehended while hawking N897,900, a violation of Section 21(4) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2007.
Following her arrest, Adeyinka was arraigned before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, on one count of currency racketeering, to which she pleaded guilty.
The EFCC’s statement elaborated, “Following her guilty plea, prosecution counsel C.C. Okezie called Olagunju Abdul Malik, an EFCC operative, to review the facts of the case. Abdul Malik informed the court that the defendant was arrested on April 27, 2024, while hawking naira notes at 10 Degree Event Centre, Billings Way, Ikeja, Lagos, based on credible intelligence received by the commission. The sum of N897,900 was recovered from her at the time of arrest. She was duly cautioned and she volunteered her statements.”
After the evidence was presented, Justice Aneke sentenced Adeyinka to six months imprisonment, with an option of a N50,000 fine. The judge also ordered the forfeiture of the N897,900 recovered from her to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
In a related development, the Maiduguri Zonal Command of the EFCC arrested five Bureau de Change operators on Tuesday.
According to a Thursday statement by the EFCC, the suspects were apprehended at the Borno State Hajj Camp, located at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim College of Education in Maiduguri, following credible intelligence about their involvement in the illegal sale of foreign currencies.
The EFCC stated, “Operatives of the Maiduguri Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, arrested five suspected illegal Bureau De Change operators in Maiduguri, Borno State. Their arrest followed credible intelligence about their involvement in the sale of foreign currencies.”
The EFCC concluded that the suspects will be prosecuted upon the completion of the ongoing investigation.
