The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the remand of three men in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) pending their arraignment for allegedly producing and selling fake dollars.
Justice Kehinde Ogundare issued the order in response to one of the defendants’s lack of legal representation.
Joseph Ude, Benjamin Opara, and Iliyasu Garba are the three defendants.
Temitope Banjo, counsel for the EFCC, apprised the court of the five-count allegation levied against the defendants at the time the case was called.
He requested that the allegation be read to the defendants in order for them to enter a plea.
However, the judge was informed by the counsel for the second defendant Garba, Abdulmalik Ibrahim, that the first defendant Opara was not represented in court, meaning that the arraignment could not proceed.
The attorney petitioned the court to permit the defendants to continue on the administrative parole that the EFCC had previously granted.
Following a hearing of both parties, Justice Ogundare determined that the defendants should be detained in the custody of the EFCC pending arraignment, as their arraignment had been halted by the defence.
Arrest of the case was postponed until March 6, 2024. A component of the charges levied against the defendants stated: “That you, BENJAMIN OPARA, had in your possession on or around November 10, 2023 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, machinery, utensils, and material used in the forgery of counterfeit currency, specifically dollars, contrary to and punishable under Section 2 of the Counterfeit Currency (Special Provisions) Act Cap. C35, Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, without lawful authority.”
“That you, BENJAMIN OPARA on or about the 10th November, 2023 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court falsely made counterfeit currency, to wit, $20,000 denomination numbered MK10441029B contrary to and punishable under Section 1(3) of Counterfeit Currency (Special provisions) Act Cap. C35, Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
“That you, BENJAMIN OPARA, ILIYASU GARBA and JOSEPH UDE on or about the 10th of November 2023 in Lagos sold counterfeit currency, to wit, the sum of $10,000 denomination numbered MK10441042B, to one OBA OGOCHUKWU (AT LARGE), knowing same to be counterfeit currency contrary to and punishable under Section 4(1) of Counterfeit Currency (Special provisions) Act Cap. C35, Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”
