The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, presided over by Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke on Thursday, February 1, 2024, convicted and sentenced one Oluwadarasimi Omoseyin, an actress, to six months imprisonment for spraying and stepping on the new Naira notes at a social event in Lagos.
She was first arraigned on February 13, 2023, by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on two-count charges, to which she pleaded “not guilty”. She was subsequently granted bail on February 15, 2023.
At the resumed hearing on Thursday February 1, 2024, Omoseyin, however, changed her “not guilty” plea to “guilty”, in view of the overwhelming evidence against her.
Following her “guilty plea”, the prosecution counsel, Z.B. Atiku called Abubakar Mohammed Marafa, an operative of the EFCC, to review the facts of the matter.
Justice Aneke admitted all exhibits and convicted the defendant, as charged. The defence counsel, Afuye Adegbola pleaded for leniency, saying, “She’s a first-time offender; she is a mother of one; she is remorseful and pleads for mercy.” He further pleaded for a non-custodial sentence on behalf of the convict.
Delivering judgment, Justice Aneke sentenced the defendant to six months imprisonment, effective from Thursday, with an option of N300,000.00 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira only) fine to be paid into the consolidated revenue account of the federation.