Two bankers are facing legal prosecution from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) Enugu Zonal Directorate for allegedly selling customers freshly minted N500,000.
The defendants were detained on November 15, 2024, at their place of employment on 18 Okpara Avenue in Enugu State, according to a statement from EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale. This was due to actionable intelligence that connected the defendants to the selling of Naira mints in the city of Enugu.
The Federal High Court, located in Independence Layout, Enugu State, brought the accused, Ekpe Anayaoha Okoronkwo and Umeonuoha Onyinye, before Justice Mohammed Garba Umar.
According to Oyewale, one Husseini Ibrahim purchased N500,000 worth of mints in N200 denominations from the defendants.
“That you, Ekpe Anayaoha Okoronkwo and Umeonuoha Onyinye, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, sometime in October 2024 in Enugu, Enugu State, did sell a total sum of Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N500,000.00) mints in Two Hundred Naira Notes (N200) denominations, issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria to one Husseini Ibrahim, thereby committing an offense punishable under Section 21 (1) of the same Act.”
Onyinye entered a not guilty plea to the case, while Okoronkwo entered a guilty plea.
Rotimi Ajobiewe, the Chief Superintendent and attorney for the EFCC, responded by asking the court to reconsider the matter involving the first defendant on a short notice.
The second defendant’s attorney, C. N. Agama, requested that the court remand the case.
In his decision, Justice Umar postponed the hearing of Onyinye’s bail request and Okoronkwo’s punishment until January 15, 2025.