A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, ordered the remand of a 31-year-old actress, Oluwadarasimi Omoseyin in a correctional facility for alleged abuse of the naira notes.
Justice Chukwuejekwu Aneke gave the order after the accused entered a not-guilty plea to the two-count charge brought against her by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Recall that the actress was arrested by the operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Wednesday, February 1, 2023, along Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.
The ICPC, however, handed her over to the EFCC for proper investigation.
EFCC alleged that while dancing during a social occasion, she tampered with the sum of N100, 000.00 issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) by dancing on same at the said occasion.
Her offence is contrary to and punishable under section 21 (1) of the Central Bank Act, 2007.
The charges read: “That you, Oluwadarasimi Omoseyin on the 28th day of January, 2023 at Monarch Event Centre, Lekki within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court whilst dancing during a social occasion tampered with the sum of N100, 000.00 issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same in the said occasion and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 21 (1) of the Central Bank Act, 2007.
“That you, Oluwadarasimi Omoseyin on the 28th day of January, 2023 at Monarch Event Centre, Lekki within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court whilst dancing during a social occasion tampered with the sum of N100, 000.00 issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by dancing on same in the said occasion and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 21 (1) of the Central Bank Act, 2007
Following the defendant’s plea of not guilty to the charge, the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Sulaiman Sulaiman, asked the court for a trial date and urged that the defendant be remanded in the appropriate correctional facility.
In her response, counsel for the defendant, Ms Adenike Goncalves, prayed the court to grant the defendant bail pending the hearing and determination of the case.
She also prayed that her client be remanded in EFCC custody pending the perfection of the bail terms if so granted by the court.
Responding, the prosecutor submitted that bail is at the discretion of the court and prayed that in the event bail is granted, the conditions of the bail term should be such that would enable the defendant to be present during the trial.
In his ruling, the judge ordered Omoseyin to be remanded in Kirikiri female section of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), till February 15, when her bail application would be heard and determined.
