2 Women Jailed One Year Each For Hawking N5.4m Naira Notes On Highway

MICHAEL AKINOLA 

Two women, Folake Adeoti and Modupe Adewuyi, will be spending the next one year in prison custody for hawking a total of N5.4m Naira notes on the highway in Lagos State. 

P.M.EXPRESS reports that it was the judgment of Justice Yellin Bogoro of the Federal High Court in Lagos, on Friday, who found them guilty, convicted and sentenced them accordingly.

They were arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos on a separate one-count charge, bordering on illegal hawking of Naira notes.

 

The charge against Adeoti read: “That you, Folake Adeoti, on the 21st day of March, 2025, opposite Regency Hall, Jobi Felé,Way, Ikeja, in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, hawked the sum of N3,850,000.00 (Three Million, Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 21(4)) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007.”

That of Adewuyi read: “That you, Modupe Adewuyi, on the 21st day of March, 2025, at Jobi Fele Street, opposite Regency Event Center, Alausa Ikeja, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, engaged in hawking the total sum of N1,600,000 (One Million, Six Hundred Thousand Naira) of N500 and N1000 denominations, issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 21(4) and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2007.”

They pleaded guilty.

The prosecution counsel, Z.B. Atiku, presented the facts of the matter by tendering their confessional statement as well as the money recovered from them as evidence and urged the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.

 

The prosecution counsel further informed the court that Adeoti was an ex-convict, having been prosecuted before Justice Ibrahim Kala and convicted on the same matter of Naira abuse.

 

The presiding judge, Justice Bogoro found guilty as charged and sentenced Adeoti to one year imprisonment without an option of fine. The Court also ordered that her POS machine as well as the money recovered from her be forfeited to the Federal Government.

 

Also Adewuyi was sentenced to one year imprisonment with an option of fine of N500,000.00. In addition, the Court ordered that her POS machine and money recovered from her be forfeited to the Federal Government.

 

They were taken to the correctional center where they will spend their prison terms or payment of fine as in the case of the second convict.