Magistrate Fowowe Erusiafe of an Ebute-Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, on Monday ordered the remand of two brothers, Ihesiaba Ifeanyi (28) and Ihesiaba Hope (33) in prison till August 11, for alleged currency counterfeiting.
The Ihesiabas were charged by the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti-Yaba, Lagos, on a five-count charge of unlawful possession of counterfeit currency and issuing of counterfeit currency.
Prosecuting Inspecting Goddy Osuyi told the court that the brothers were arrested on May 25 at about 7:00pm at Magodo gate Isheri, Lagos with 78 pieces of Nigeria’s N1, 000 notes.
Osuyi alleged that Ifeanyi offered a fake N1, 000 note to one Favour Umelo, knowing fully well that the currency was a counterfeit.
The offences, according to the charge, contravene Sections 6(2)(a)(b), 5(b)(2) and are punishable under Section 5(a) and 5(b)(2) of the Counterfeit Currency (Special Provision) Act Cap. C35, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN).
Both men denied the charges and Osuyi made an oral application, urging the court to remand them in prison pending their arraignment at the Federal High Court.
The police, he added, had registered the case at the Federal High Court, but a judge had yet to be assigned to hear the matter.
Opposing the application, defence counsel, Mr. Ola Ogunbiyi argued that the offences are bailable and that the brothers are presumed innocent until it is contrarily proved.
Ogunbiyi also reminded the court that the Federal High Court is on vacation, thus “remanding Hope and Ifeanyi in prison until their case is assigned to a judge, is tantamount to keeping them in custody permanently.”
He urged the court to admit his clients to bail in “the most liberal terms, or remand them in the custody of the police.”
In a short ruling, Magistrate Erusiafe held: “I have gone through the application for remand, as well as listened to the submission of the lawyer to the defendants.
“I hereby grant the prosecution’s application for remand. The defendants are to be remanded in prison for the first 30 days. If at the end of the 30 days they were not arraigned before the Federal High Court, I will be left with no option than to admit them to bail.”
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Title :
Two brothers arraigned for keeping ‘fake currency’
Description : Magistrate Fowowe Erusiafe of an Ebute-Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, on Monday ordered the remand of two brothers, Ihesiaba Ifeanyi ...
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