The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has announced the conviction of Bilikis Adeyinka for illegally hawking naira notes in Ikeja, Lagos State. This development was disclosed in a statement posted on the EFCC’s official Facebook page on Thursday.
Adeyinka was apprehended for selling a total of N897,900, an act that violates Section 21(4) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2007. Following her arrest, she was brought before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, where she faced one count of currency racketeering. Adeyinka pleaded guilty to the charge.
The EFCC’s statement detailed the proceedings: “After her guilty plea, the prosecution counsel, C.C. Okezie, presented Olagunju Abdul Malik, an EFCC operative, to review the facts of the case. Abdulmalik informed the court that the defendant was arrested on April 27, 2024, at 10 Degree Event Centre, Billings Way, Ikeja, Lagos, based on credible intelligence received by the commission. The sum of N897,900 was seized from her at the time of the arrest. She was duly cautioned and provided her statements voluntarily.”
Justice Aneke subsequently sentenced Adeyinka to six months in prison, with an alternative option of a N50,000 fine. Additionally, the judge ordered the forfeiture of the N897,900 recovered from her to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
In a related incident, the EFCC’s Maiduguri Zonal Command arrested five Bureau de Change operators on Tuesday for their involvement in the illegal sale of foreign currencies. This operation took place at the Borno State Hajj Camp, located at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim College of Education in Maiduguri.
According to the EFCC’s statement on Thursday, “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 has indicated that it will proceed with prosecuting these suspects following the conclusion of the ongoing investigation.
These actions underscore the EFCC’s commitment to enforcing laws against currency racketeering and illegal foreign exchange operations, thereby promoting financial integrity in Nigeria.
