The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Monday arraigned a woman, Favour Omeigba Bello, at the Federal High Court, Lagos for being in possession of 298 counterfeit foreign cheques.
According to the agency’s charge marked FHC/L/209c/16,the alleged woman was arrested at the departure hall of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, while attempting to export the said counterfeit foreign cheques outside Nigeria.
Some of the counterfeit foreign cheques include: 25 pieces of Tresor Public Cheques; 25 pieces of HSBC cheques; 25 pieces of Deutsche Bank Frankfurt Cheques; 24 pieces of ABN-Amro Bank Cheques; 7 pieces of BNP Paribas cheques; and 18 pieces of Llyods Bank cheques.
Others are: 25 pieces of Credit Cooperatif Cheques; 25 pieces of Rentokil Initial HSBC Bank Plc; 25 pieces of ACC Bank cheques; 25 pieces of Banco Popular France cheques; 24 pieces of AIB International cheques; 5 pieces of Ocean International cheques; 20 pieces of Brock House HSBC Bank Plc. cheques; and 25 pieces of Surf Control Naturest cheques.
She was also accused of being in possession of a forged Tresor Public cheque with number 3078154 without lawful authority.
The prosecutor Mr. Attah Ocholi said the offenses are contrary to sections 6(1) 5(1)(b) and punishable under sections 3(b) 5(2) of the Counterfeit Currency (Special Provision) Act Cap. C35, and section 1(3)(a) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap. M17; Laws of Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Meanwhile, the accused pleaded not guilty to all the count charges. Upon the plea of the accused person her counsel, Bolanle Kolawole, urged the court to admit her client on bail in the most liberal terms.
Kolawole while citing section 35 of 1999 Nigeria’s Constitution, to support her plea for the accused person’s bail, informed the court that her client was a first time offender, and will not jump bail if granted.
Consequently, the presiding judge, Justice Chika Obiozor, admitted bail to the accused person in the sum of N5 million with one surety and adjourned till September 15, for trial.
-Emmanuel ikechukwu
