Woman, three others jailed 160 years over possession of fake banknotes

A Federal High Court, sitting in Yola, Adamawa State, has convicted a woman, Hadiza Bello and three others and sentenced them to 160 years in prison for dealing in fake naira notes.

The convicts, who were charged to court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, were arrested at a checkpoint along Girei-Yola Road, Adamawa State.

According to a statement from the ICPC spokesperson, Rasheedat Okoduwa, Hadiza and four others, Mohammed Dauda, Bello Salisu, Ali Adamu and Hassan Bello, charged with a multiple-count charge of conspiracy and possession of counterfeit banknotes, were involved in a deal to exchange the sum of N5m counterfeit notes for N1m real notes from a customs officer.

The spokesperson also said that Hassan Bello, a native doctor, was not sentenced due to his death before the judgement was delivered.

The statement reads “A Federal High Court sitting in Yola, Adamawa State, has sentenced four persons, including a woman, to 160 years’ imprisonment on a multiple-count charge of conspiracy and possession of counterfeit banknotes.

ALSO READ: Osun education policy review committee recommends reversal of single uniform, return to 6-3-3-4 system

“Justice Abdulazeez Anka, who handed down the sentences to the convicts in the case brought by the ICPC, ruled that they would spend 10 years in prison on each of the four counts preferred against them.

“Three of the convicts, Hadiza Bello, Mohammed Dauda and Bello Salisu, had in March 2017, left Kaduna and were joined by the fourth convict, Ali Adamu, from Kano, to meet a native doctor, Hassan Bello, who was a counterfeiter at Wamdeo Uba, Borno State, with the intention to procure about N5m counterfeit banknotes to exchange for about N1m genuine banknotes from a customs officer.

“The deal with the customs officer did not go through for undisclosed reasons. However, as they made their way back, they were caught at a checkpoint on Girei-Yola Road, with counterfeit N1000 banknotes to the value of N5,504,000 by soldiers on duty and subsequently handed over to the ICPC.

“A search conducted on the premises revealed more counterfeit N1000 bank notes reading the same serial number to the value of N26,000.

“At the conclusion of investigations, except for Bello Salisu, who was charged with abetment to commit an offence of possession of counterfeit banknotes, the other four suspects, including the native doctor counterfeiter, were arraigned on four counts of being in possession of counterfeit banknotes, which is an offence contrary to sections 5(1) (b) and 6(2) (b), and punishable under Section 5(1) (c) of the Counterfeit Currency (Special Provisions) Act, cap. C35, LFN 2004,” the statement added.

“All the accused persons were also charged with conspiracy to commit an offence of possession of counterfeit banknotes which is contrary to Section 6(2) (b) and punishable under Section 5 (1) (c) of the Counterfeit Currency (Special Provisions) Act CAP C35, LFN 2004.

“In his ruling, Justice Anka found the accused persons guilty on each of the four counts and sentenced them to a cumulative 40 years imprisonment each, although the sentences will run concurrently.

“However, Hassan Bello, the native doctor counterfeiter, could not be sentenced due to his death shortly before the judgement was delivered, thus his name was struck out.