Naira Hawker Sentenced To 3-Month Community Service

The Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos State, presided over by Justice Kehinde Olayiwola Ogundare, has convicted and sentenced one Fabian John Itafor, to three months of community service, for hawking Nigeria currency.

Itafor was handed the punishment after pleading guilty to a count charge instituted against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

According to the prosecutor, Abubakar Wara, the convict was arrested on February 24, 2024, at Leisure Event Center, Wale Olateju Street, Victoria Island, where he was hawking new Naira notes.

Wara, who further hinted to the court that while the convict was being arrested, the sum of N347,000.00, $1, and £50 was found in his possession, added that the convict’s illegal act contravened Section 21(4) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act 2007, and punishable under the same Act.

“That you Fabian John Itafor, on or about the 24th day of February 2024 at Leisure Event Center, Wale Olateju Street, Victoria Island, in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, hawked the sum of N347 000.00 (Three Hundred and Forty Seven Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 21(4) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act 2007,” the charge against the convict reads.

But the money hawker pleaded guilty when the charge was read to him, prompting the prosecutor to ask the court to convict and sentence him in accordance with the section of the Act he was charged with.

However, the convict through his lawyer stated that he was a first-time offender and pleaded for leniency even as he promised not to engage in such an Act.

He also pleaded with the court to consider an option of a fine in lieu of the custodial sentence.

Justice Ogundare, having confirmed from the prosecutor that the convict was a first-time offender and without any record of previous conviction, sentenced him to three months of community service, but ordered him to pay the sum of N50,000.00, in lieu of the sentencing.

The judge further ordered that the convict forfeit his POS machine and the sum of N347,000.00; $1, and £50, found on him during his arrest to the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN).