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Sinovuyo Rabula, a 26-year-old woman has been arrested for kidnapping two newborn babies.
She was nabbed for kidnapping the babies from Dora Nginza Hospital in Gqeberha, in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.
Sinovuyo Rabula appeared in the New Brighton Magistrate's Court on Thursday, May 22, 2025, facing two counts of kidnapping.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Rabula is accused of pretending to suffer from abdominal pain to gain access to the hospital's maternity ward on Tuesday, May 22.
Once inside, she allegedly posed as a new mother and took the infants without authorisation.
Both babies were found unharmed and safely recovered the following day.
Rabula was arrested and remains in custody. She is due back in court on May 30 for a formal bail application.
NPA spokesperson Luxolo Tyali confirmed the charges, stating: “The accused allegedly misled hospital staff to gain entry into the maternity section, where she unlawfully removed two newborns. The swift recovery of the infants and the arrest of the suspect reflect the effective cooperation between law enforcement and health officials.”
In a further development, police confirmed that a second woman, aged 25, was also arrested in connection with the case.
An observant police officer allegedly noticed the two women with infants while leaving the hospital premises.
Suspicious of their behaviour, the officer stopped and questioned them.
"After further questioning and verification, the officer was able to confirm that the babies were indeed the two who had been reported missing the previous night," said police spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse Van Rensburg.
“Their quick thinking and immediate action were critical in bringing this case to a swift resolution."
On Thursday, May 22, 2025, the Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate of the EFCC arraigned Ifeoma Joe and her 34-year-old son, Chima Mike Nmerem, before Justice P. I. Ajoku at the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for allegedly defrauding a U.S.-based Nigerian woman under the pretense of conducting spiritual cleansing.
They are being prosecuted on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, misrepresentation, advance fee fraud and obtaining money under false pretence to the tune of N64.4m.
One of the charges reads: “That you Ifeoma Joe between the 10th day of September, 2024 to 17th day of December, 2024 at Oyigbo Rivers State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, obtained the aggregate sum of Sixty Four Million, Four Hundred and Eighty Six Thousand One Hundred and Eighty Naira (N64, 486, 180) only, from Mrs Felicia Ekwutasi Ikeh; which money was paid into account No: 0024475760 domiciled with Access Bank Plc and operated by Chima Mike Nmerem, under the pretence that the sum was requested by one Dr. Uma Ukpai for spiritual cleansing and settlement of detectives in a murder case in the United States of America which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (c) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”
They pleaded “guilty” when the charges were read to them, following which prosecution counsel K. U. Udus called for a review of the case and informed the court of the presence of a prosecution witness who was ready to testify, but Justice Ajoku for want of time, adjourned the matter till May 28, 2025 for the review of facts of the case and ordered that the defendants be remanded in custody of the EFCC.
The defendants' case with the EFCC began when a US-based petitioner alleged that she was introduced to the first defendant, Joe, by her sister for spiritual prayers that would prevent her son, who murdered his sibling in a fight, from going to jail and for the homicide case against him to be dismissed.
The petitioner alleged that the Joe was contracted following her claim that she has a close relationship with Evangelist Uma Ukpai, a renowned Christian preacher and further deceived her with a fake phone number of the man of God which the defendant herself allegedly answers and offers prayers for her with a pretended voice of a man of God whenever she calls the numbers.
After some alleged deceitful prayers, the first defendant, still pretending to be the man of God demanded for the sum of N900,000.00 (Nine Hundred Thousand Naira) which he would deposit at the altar. The petitioner allegedly provided the amount.
Investigation by the Commission further revealed that the defendant also deceived the victim into paying some amount of money running into millions for purported spiritual cleansing, donations to orphanages and spiritual settlements of detectives and prosecutors handling her son's murder case and cash gifts to her surviving son's employer, so that he would be reinstated in his place of work after the alleged spiritual interventions would have caused the murder case against him to be dismissed.
The victim also reported that she paid a Naira equivalent of the sum of $38,450 (Thirty-Eight Thousand, Four Hundred and Fifty United States Dollars) into the account of the first defendant.
By the time the petitioner allegedly realized that all was a scam, she disclosed that she had already transferred a total sum of N64, 486, 180 (Sixty Four Million, Four Hundred and Eighty Six Thousand One Hundred and Eighty Naira) to the first defendant via the second defendant’s bank account, domiciled in Access Bank, made available by the first defendant.
And all efforts by the petitioner to recover her money were to no avail.
A truck lost control and crashed into a group of students from Seico Secondary School in Ikangba, Ijebu Ode, tragically k!lling a girl who was reportedly sitting for the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The incident reportedly occurred on the newly rehabilitated Ikangba/Agoro road on Friday, May 23, 2025, when the students were going back home after writing their examination.
The chairman of the Ogun State chapter of Campaign for Democratic and Workers Rights, Mr Eko Nicholas, who spoke to Punch said one other student was critically injured.
"Nobody knew what actually made the truck coming from Molipa end of the road to veer off and ram into the students coming from the opposite direction and crashing into the fence of a Redeemed church beside the road," he said.
“The students were obviously those writing this ongoing WASSCE because they were holding the question papers. One of the students, a female d!ed on the spot while another female was also critically injured, we are all praying she make it."
Nicholas decried the increase in accidents on the road since it was rehabilitated.
The human rights activist blamed the incessant accident on the failure of the government to help with road bumps or speed breakers that could easily help to check the reckless drivers plying the road.
“This is yet another needless d3aths on the Ikangba/Agoro road, bringing the number of souls lost from February to six, including several ones that were injured,” he said.
"We again call on the state government to construct speed breakers and street lights to stem these avoidable and painful deaths.
“The CDWR has before this time called on the state government to no avail. The government should immediately provide speed barriers before another death occur on the road, as several schools are located on this same road, and school children trek to and from the schools on daily basis."
The Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, Babatunde Akinbiyi, confirmed the incident.
“TRACE officers around the area have confirmed the tragic incident, one school pupil d!ed,” he said.
The Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Police Force have arrested no fewer than 20 suspects in connection with the hacking of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) computer-based test (CBT).
The 2025 UTME was conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB.
AIT reports that the suspects are part of a syndicate believed to have over 100 persons who specialise in hacking of the computer servers of examination bodies like JAMB and the National Examinations Council, NECO.
According to the report, security sources confirmed that the suspects have confessed to sabotaging the CBT system in order to discredit JAMB and discourage students from using CBT for future examinations to be conducted by NECO and the West African Examination Council, WAEC.
“The syndicate would install an attacking software on the examination body hardware. The software, in turn, would remotely hack JAMB servers at any targeted CBT centre,” the source quoted one of the suspect as confessing.
The entire hacking process was to influence high scores for special candidates who paid between N700,000 and N2 million.
The report further added that preliminary investigations revealed that several members of the syndicate own private schools and colleges, and make huge sums of money from their special centres.
Nigerian actress, Monalisa Stephen has been laid to rest.
Stephen was laid to rest on Thursday, May 22, 2025, at the Yaba cemetery in Lagos.
Recall that we had reported that she died due to complications from low blood sugar and intestinal haemorrhage.
A private funeral service was attended by grieving family members, friends, and industry colleagues, who gathered to pay their last respects to the late star.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has promised to take Nigerians to the promised land.
He gave the assurance during the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Summit, following a powerful show of support from the APC Governors’ Forum.
Addressing party members and stakeholders, President Tinubu emphasised that now is the time for action rather than complaints.
“This is the only time that you can correct and not complain,” he said.
Expressing gratitude for the endorsement and support from party leaders, Tinubu added, “I owe you a whole world of gratitude; the endorsements today, the ‘carry go’ inspiration.”
In a moment that electrified the room, a voice from the crowd shouted, “Follow who know road,” to which Tinubu responded with conviction: “I know road. And we will lead you on to that promised land.”
He assured attendees that the Nigerian economy is on a path to recovery, and that the “hope” Nigerians seek is already present and active.
“The resuscitation of the Nigerian economy is on course, it is here. The hope is standing before you. Take it on,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu reiterated his administration’s focus on building a foundation for industrialisation and long-term national progress.
“Nigeria will be industrialised; we will achieve our goals. If only in the first two years we are where we are today, then the next two years will be great. We have the mission, we have the vision,” he said.
Responding to concerns about the state of democracy and the dominance of the APC, Tinubu dismissed fears of a one-party system as misplaced.
“To those saying one-party system is no good, it’s one party ruling and driving the aspirations of Nigerians. Where do they stand? You don’t blame a people bailing out of a sinking ship when they have no life jacket,” he said.
Concluding his speech, President Tinubu hinted at further growth for the APC, noting that more politicians are expected to join its ranks. He described the party’s expanding influence as simply part of “the game” of politics
Nuhu Ribadu, national security adviser (NSA) has announced that oil production will soon resume in Ogoniland after over 30 years of halting oil production.
He made the statement on Thursday during a presentation at the All Progressives Congress (APC) national summit.
“Oil Production will soon resume in Ogoniland after over 30 years,” he said.
Highlighting achievements during the President Bola Tinubu administration, Ribadu said Nigeria’s oil production rose to an average of 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2025.
He also reported a 47 percent “drop in infractions”, noting that 1,978 illegal refineries have been dismantled.
The NSA said security operatives have also destroyed 3,849 dugout pits and 3,773 illegal cooking ovens so far.
“Operation DELTA SAFE, which involves all security services, is helping ensure regional security,” Ribadu said.
Tinubu had announced plans to resume oil production in Ogoniland.
In March, the Ogoni dialogue committee on the resumption of oil extraction in Ogoniland concluded its consultations and said it would soon submit its findings to the federal government.
Ogoniland has faced several oil spills since the 1990s, and significant environmental pollution and health risks for residents — leading to an eventual stoppage of drilling activities in 1993.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), despite the stoppage of crude drilling activities, in 2017, the Ogoni community was exposed to hydrocarbons daily through multiple routes.
According to reports, over two million barrels of oil polluted Ogoniland in 2,976 separate oil spills between 1976 and 1991.
In February 2019, the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) confirmed an oil spill incident in Ebubu, Eleme LGA in Ogoniland.
The suspended Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Professor Ngozi Nma Ordu has denied reports that she has resigned from office.
She spoke via her Head of the Press Unit, Owepele Benibo, who described the reports as “false information from the pit of hell.”
Speaking in a telephone interview, Benibo firmly stated that the Deputy Governor has no intention of resigning, particularly at a time when reconciliation efforts are underway to restore peace in the state.
He urged the public to disregard the “fake news”, assuring that Professor Nma-Ordu remains fully engaged in the administration of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
This is the second time it is rumored that she has resigned from office.
On March 5, 2025, some Facebook users from Rivers State alleged that the Deputy Governor had resigned but her media team also debunked the rumours.
In a major clampdown on cross-border fuel smuggling, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted petroleum products and vehicles worth over ₦63 million during a five-week special operation in Adamawa State.
The operation, codenamed Operation Whirlwind, was carried out across key smuggling hotspots in Nigeria’s northeastern corridor, including Dasin-Fufore, Belel-Farang, Mubi-Sahuda, Maiha, and Girei-Wuro Bokki.
Speaking at a press briefing at the Customs House in Yola on Friday, Assistant Comptroller General HK Ejibunu, who represented the Comptroller-General of Customs, said the seized items included 1,959 jerry cans of petrol—amounting to nearly 49,000 litres—as well as five vehicles used in transporting the contraband.
Ejibunu disclosed that the total duty-paid value of the seizures stood at ₦63,046,750, adding that smugglers fled upon sighting enforcement officers, abandoning their illicit cargo in the process.
He said the operation is in line with President Bola Tinubu’s push for energy and food security, noting that disrupting illegal fuel supply chains helps stabilize prices and mitigate scarcity.
Given the flammable nature of the seized petrol, it will be auctioned immediately in accordance with the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, with proceeds remitted to the federation account.
Ejibunu called on border communities to assist law enforcement by reporting suspicious activities and warned that smuggling amounts to economic sabotage. He also praised the media, the Office of the National Security Adviser, NMDPRA, and other stakeholders for their support in the fight against smuggling
Mohamed Salah, the Liverpool talisman, has explained that this is his “best chance” to take home the Ballon d’Or.
Salah has enjoyed an impressive campaign with the Reds as they lifted the Premier League title.
So far, the 32-year-old has recorded 28 goals and 18 assists. The Egyptian also leads the race for the league’s Golden Boot.
The Ballon d’Or winner for this year will be announced on September 22 and Salah remains one of the favourites to win.
“I would say I never had a season like this and winning big trophies.
“So I would say this is my best chance to get it right now while I’m in the club because it’s been a crazy year, a crazy season with a trophy,” Salah told Sky Sports.
Salah is facing competition from Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal for the Ballon d’Or
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[FULL TEXT] Press Conference On The Illegal Detention, Harassment And Persecution Of Ms. Hamdiyyah Sharif Over Her Demand For End To Violence In Sokoto
Admin![[FULL TEXT] Press Conference On The Illegal Detention, Harassment And Persecution Of Ms. Hamdiyyah Sharif Over Her Demand For End To Violence In Sokoto](/media/k2/items/cache/726e353d077aa81f26ce434889f0752c_XS.jpg)
We, the undersigned members, express grave concern and deep indignation over the continuing persecution, harassment, and unlawful treatment of Miss Hamdiyyah Sharif, a young Nigerian teenager and vocal social commentator who has been a consistent advocate for improved governance and citizen welfare in Sokoto State.
You may recall that after several bandit attacks in her community resulting in displacement, killings, raping and arson, she tried to communicate this deplorable condition to draw the attention of the State Government on this brutal attack. She wondered why the state government or officials did not bother to visit or sympathize with communities that suffer severe and violent attacks. Sadly, this became the reason for her persecution, intimidation, harassment and threat to life. Rather than the state government to focus on ameliorating the suffering of the people who have some of the worst rate of poverty, almajiri and out-of-school children in Nigeria, it opted to direct its energy on attacking innocent citizens.
Miss Sharif, who was recently declared missing by her legal counsel, was reportedly found later in a hospital in Bakura, Zamfara State, in circumstances that are yet to be fully clarified. Three days ago, Miss Hamdiyyah was reportedly abducted on a commercial tricycle (Napep) in her village, taken to an unknown village where she was injected with unknown substances and abandoned in a bush in Bakura LGA of Zamfara. She was eventually found by good Samaritans, received medical treatment at a hospital, and ended up in a police station. Alarming reports indicate that the Commissioner of Police in Zamfara is under intense pressure to hand her over to the Commissioner of Police in Sokoto State. Given the suspicious circumstances of her abduction and the looming threat to her life, we call on the Inspector General of Police to urgently take custody and ensure the protection of Miss Sharif. Should anything happen to her, the Commissioners of Police in both Sokoto and Zamfara will be held responsible.
While her physical recovery remains a priority, the circumstances of her disappearance and the events leading to her hospitalisation raise serious questions about state complicity in the unlawful targeting of critics and the misuse of power by some state officials.
While we do not yet have incontrovertible evidence to directly accuse Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State of orchestrating her ordeal, it is important to state that multiple reports and credible indicators point to alleged state involvement in the ongoing intimidation, harassment, and silencing of Miss Sharif. Such allegations must be taken seriously and investigated transparently by relevant authorities.
We remind His Excellency, the Governor of Sokoto State, of his constitutional oath to uphold the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and to govern in accordance with rule of law and respect for human rights. The Constitution, under Section 39(1), guarantees every Nigerian the right to freedom of expression, and Section 35 guarantees the right to personal liberty. These rights are not gifts from the government—they are entitlements under our Constitution and democratic system.
It is worrisome that the Police and the State Magistrate are being used to maliciously prosecute this teenager for crying out against insecurity and bad governance in the state. It is important that the Inspector General of Police brings sanity in the way and manner the Police are used to harass innocent citizens while bandits and other criminals are on social media mocking and challenging the Nigerian security but are not being dealt with.
The case of Miss Sharif is not isolated. During the “#EndBadGovernance” protests, 29 minors were unlawfully detained for participating in protests decrying Nigeria’s worsening economic situation and insecurity. Months after Civil Society pressure, they were released. However, many remain in deplorable conditions, without rehabilitation, psychosocial support, or access to justice. This is despite the President’s directive to investigate and prosecute the Police officers behind the prosecution of these minors, nothing till today has been done or said.
We cannot continue to have a system that punishes the vulnerable while shielding the powerful.
We salute the courage and efforts by many organizations and individuals, her legal team led by Abba Hikma esq in saving her life and getting her out of this quagmire. We urge more intensity of action by all the groups.
We therefore demand the following:
1. Immediate and unconditional release of Miss Hamdiyyah Sharif from from contrived detention and be accorded full protection for to enable her enjoy her constitutional rights to freedom of movement, freedom of expression, and personal liberty without fear of reprisal.
2. An independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding her disappearance and the allegations of state complicity. Those responsible for any wrongdoing must be held to account.
3. The judiciary must act with courage and consistency in upholding the Constitution, as it remains the last hope of every Nigerian, especially the vulnerable ones. Today, hope is a dangerous thing for the average Nigerian citizen to have. It must not be crushed by a judiciary that bows to executive pressure or partisan interference.
4. We call on the First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Fatima Ahmed Aliyu (wife of the Sokoto State Governor), and all women in public leadership positions to rise to the occasion and protect the dignity of a fellow woman. At a time when women’s participation in politics and governance in Nigeria is at an all-time low, silence in the face of injustice will only deepen the erosion of gender inclusion and equality. We ask them to speak truth to power and uphold the rights of all women, regardless of their status in the society.
5. We call on the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the National Assembly Committees on Women Affairs, Human Rights, and Judiciary, and all other relevant bodies to immediately commence oversight and enquiry into this case and others like it across Nigeria at large.This will also demonstrate their willingness to address injustice and save the country from global embarrassment and scandal.
6. We want to reaffirm our commitment to collective action and support to end violence against women.Should this situation remain unresolved to save this young girl’s life, we will escalate advocacy to relevant international human rights bodies, including the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, diplomatic community and call for visa denial and asset seizure. We will also explore legal redress through international mechanisms, including the International Criminal Court (ICC).
This country belongs to us all—young and old, male and female, rich and poor, leader and follower. Civic space must never be a privilege only for the powerful; it is a right guaranteed to all citizens. We will not fold our arms while Nigeria drifts into authoritarianism under the guise of protective regime.
We will continue to mobilise, resist, and speakagainst injustice, because silence is not neutrality—it is complicity.
Signed,
1. Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)
#FixPoliticsAmnesty International Nigeria Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED)Global RightsGood Governance TeamMedia Rights AgendaOrganization for Community Civic Engagement (OCCEN)Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa PAACAPartners West Africa Nigeria (PWAN)Rape is a CrimeSocio-Economic Rights And Accountability Project (SERAP)Socio-Economic Research and Development Centre (SERDEC)Social Development Integrated Centre (Social Action)The Center for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CeFWIT)Transition Monitoring Group (TMG)West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI)Women in Media Communication Initiative (WIM)Yiaga AfricaWali Uwais Access to JusticeEmma Ezeazu Centre for Good Governance and AccountabilityBorno Coalition for Democracy and Progress (BOCODEP)State of the Union (SOTU)Tax Justice and Governance PlatformWest Africa Civil Society Forum (WASCSOF)Women in Mining, NigeriaZero Corruption Coalition (ZCC)Centre for Social JusticeLawyers AlertCentre for Democracy and Development (CDD)Alliance for Surviving COVID-19BudgIT FoundationHuman and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resources Centre)Mothers And Marginalized Advocacy Centre (MAMA Centre)Say No Campaign NigeriaCentre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD)Girl Child Concerns (GCC)Spaces for Change (S4C)Centre for Social JusticeCentre for Good Governance and Accountability. Daria Media FoundationPublic Procurement Platform Connected Development (CODE)
Accountability Lab
Centre for Democratic Research and Training (CRDDERT)
Centre for Women & Adolescent Empowerment, Yola
New statistics from the UK Office for National Statistics reveal that Nigeria maintained its position as a major contributor to British immigration in 2024, with approximately 52,000 Nigerian nationals relocating to the country throughout the year.
The figures come amid a dramatic reduction in overall UK net migration, which plummeted by nearly half to 431,000 in the year ending December 2024, down from 860,000 the previous year—representing a decline of almost 50 percent.
Work and Study Drive Nigerian Migration
The data shows that Nigerian immigrants primarily arrived for employment and educational opportunities. Work-related visas accounted for 27,000 arrivals, while 22,000 came on study visas. The remaining 3,000 entered under various other immigration categories.
Nigeria's substantial contribution places it alongside India, Pakistan, and China as the leading sources of non-EU+ migration to the UK. Indian nationals topped the list as the most common non-EU+ immigrants during this period.
According to the ONS report, "Work and study-related immigration were the primary reasons for migration among Indian, Pakistani, and Nigerian nationals."
Demographics of New Arrivals
The migration data reveals key demographic patterns among non-EU+ immigrants. The vast majority—83 percent—fell within working age (16-64 years), with a relatively balanced gender split of 52 percent male and 48 percent female.
Children under 16 represented 16 percent of all migrants, while those over 65 accounted for just one percent of arrivals.
Factors Behind Overall Decline
While countries like Nigeria continued to send significant numbers of migrants to the UK, the broader downward trend in immigration resulted from multiple factors. Reduced arrivals on work and study visas from non-EU+ countries contributed to the decline, along with increased emigration rates.
The statistics suggest that many individuals who arrived during or shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic have since returned to their home countries, particularly those who came on study visas.
The most significant decrease occurred in work-related immigration among primary applicants, which fell by 108,000—a 49 percent year-on-year reduction. Study-related immigration dropped by 17 percent, while the number of study dependents saw the steepest decline at 86 percent.
Judy Austin, wife of Nollywood actor, Yul Edochie, has been delivered of a baby girl, the third child the duo has together.
The couple named the new-born Universe Ifeyinwa Storm Yul Edochie.
The actor announced the birth on Instagram, expressing heartfelt gratitude to God for the blessing.
“We prayed, our fans prayed, and God answered. Rejoice with us as we welcome our beautiful daughter. Her name is UNIVERSE IFEYINWA STORM YUL EDOCHIE. Thank you, Lord,” he wrote.
The news came after a video Yul recently shared of Judy arriving at the labour room. The couple had previously announced their third pregnancy in February.
Yul, known for his playful candour, had earlier likened himself to football star Cristiano Ronaldo, joking about his fertility and expressing a desire to have five more children with Judy.
DAILY POST reports that Yul and Judy’s relationship has been in the public spotlight since 2022, when it became known while Yul was still married to his first wife, May Edochie.
Despite the controversies, the couple continues to share updates on their growing family.
A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has sentenced a man, Okoli Frank Emeka, to six months imprisonment for tampering with and trampling on Nigerian currency during a social function.
The conviction followed Emeka’s guilty plea to a one-count charge of Naira mutilation brought against him by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The sentence was handed down on Friday, May 23, 2025.
According to a statement issued by the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, the charge stemmed from an incident that occurred on August 18, 2024, at Al-moruf Garden in the Isheri Olofin area of Alimosho Local Government Area, Lagos.
The charge read: “That you, Okoli Frank Emeka, on the 18th day of August, 2024, at Al-moruf Garden, Isheri Olofin, Alimosho Local area of Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, whilst matching on the Naira notes during a social occasion, tampered with the sum of N2,000,000.00 (Two Million Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria, by matching on the same at the said occasion and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act, 2007.”
Following Emeka’s plea, prosecution counsel Z.B. Atiku presented the case through EFCC investigative officer Sa’id Sada Sani, who detailed the agency’s probe.
Sani told the court that the EFCC launched an intelligence-led investigation after a viral video showed the defendant defacing currency notes.
“A surveillance was carried out, leading to the arrest of the defendant on May 15, 2025,” Sani stated.
“He was shown a video of him spraying the money and he made a statement regarding it.”
Video evidence and a written statement by the defendant were admitted as exhibits by the court.
Atiku urged the court to convict and sentence the defendant based on the evidence presented.
Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke convicted Emeka and sentenced him to six months in prison, with an option of a N250,000 fine.