EFCC To Arraign Naira Marley On 11-Count Charges

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has perfected plans to arraign musician Azeez Fashola, popularly known as Naira Marley, for alleged credit card fraud.

Naira Marley was arrested last Friday together with Omomniyi Temidayo also known as Zlatan Ibile and three others.

Sundiata Post had reported that the two artistes are also under the agency’s investigation for songs and comments glorifying cybercrime; most recently “am i a yahoo boy?”

Zlatan and others arrested have been released while Naira Marley was retained at the EFCC custody.

The EFCC is backing on Section 33 (2) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act and the Cyber Crimes Act to prosecute the artiste.

It states that “Any person who uses: a counterfeit access device; an unauthorised access device; an access device issued to another person; resulting in a loss or gain commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of not more than seven years or a fine of not more than N5,000,000.00 and forfeiture of the advantage or value derived from his act.”

Some of the counts in the charges filed against Naira Marley includes, “That you, Azeez Adeshina Fashola, aka Naira Marley, and Raze (still at large), on or about the 11th day of December 2018, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, conspired amongst yourselves to use Access card 42658840359191132 issued to persons other than you in a bid to obtain gain and you thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 27(1)(b) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act 2015 and punishable under Section 33(2) of the Same Act.

“That you, Azeez Adeshina Fashola, aka Naira Marley, and Raze (still at large), on or about the 10th day of May 2019, within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, with intent to defraud possessed, counterfeit card 4921819410257431 issued to Timea Fedorne Tatar and you thereby committed an offense contrary to and punishable under Section 33(9) of Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015.”

The charges with suit number FHC/L/178C/19 was filed before a Lagos State High Court.

Since he has been taken into detention, some top artistes have pleaded for his release from the EFCC custody.