DSS arraigns five for alleged currency falsification in Kano

The Department of State Security (DSS) yesterday arraigned five persons before Federal High Court sitting in Kano for alleged currency falsification and other financial related offenses.

The criminal charges are contrary to the provisions of the Criminal Code, Central Bank Act, and Counterfeit Currency Special Provisions of the federation.

The suspects, who were arrested by the DSS operatives in August 2020 while attempting to present supposedly mutilated naira- notes of nominal value of about N90million at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Kano Branch for swapping.

The orchestrated plan of the accused persons, however, failed when the CBN detected the attempted fraud and immediately alerted the DSS who subsequently arrested the suspects.

When the matter came up before Justice Liman yesterday, lead prosecution counsel, Barr. Muhammad Bawa Waje, read the charges and unexpectedly, the accused persons all pleaded not guilty to the 3 count charges.

In a counter argument, the defense counsel, Haruna Baba, filed separate application demanding the court to grant the suspects bail.

In his ruling, Justice Liman granted the defense application and admitted all the accused persons to bail in the sum of B5million each and one surety in the like sum.

Accounting to the court, the sureties must have landed properties within jurisdiction of the court which must be verified by the court registrars before the release is secured.

The court, however, granted an alternative bail conditions including deposit of N2million each in the Court’s account.

Justice Liman subsequently ordered that the suspects should be remanded at the Kano Correctional Centre pending the fulfillment of either of the bail conditions and adjourned to February 28, 2022 for trial.