EFCC prosecutes two bankers for currency racketeering

The Enugu Zonal Directorate of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has prosecuted two bankers for allegedly selling newly minted N500,000 to its customers.

EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale said in a statement that Ekpe Anayaoha Okoronkwo and Umeonuoha Onyinye, staff of one of the new generation banks were arraigned before Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court sitting in Independence Layout, Enugu State

Oyewale revealed that the defendants allegedly sold N500,000 mints in N200 denominations, to one Husseini Ibrahim.

The lone count charge reads: “That you, Ekpe Anayaoha Okoronkwo and Umeonuoha Onyinye, sometime in October 2024 at Enugu, Enugu state, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, did sell a total sum of Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N500, 000. 00) mints in Two Hundred Naira Notes (N200) denominations, issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria to one Husseini Ibrahim and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 21 (4) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007 and punishable under Section 21 (1) of the same Act”.

Okoronkwo pleaded guilty to the charge while Onyinye pleaded not guilty.

In his response, counsel to the EFCC and Chief Superintendent of the EFCC, Rotimi Ajobiewe, asked the court for a short date to review the case, regarding the first defendant.

“In respect of the second defendant, we pray for a date for trial to enable the prosecution to prove its case,” Ajobiewe told the court

C. N. Agama, counsel to the second defendant, asked the court to remand Onyinye to the EFCC custody pending the hearing of the bail application.

In his response, Justice Umar adjourned the matter to January 15, 2025, for hearing of the bail application for Onyinye and the conviction and sentencing of Okoronkwo.

The two bankers were remanded at the Enugu State Correctional facility. The defendants were arrested on November 15, 2024, at their workplace located at 18 Okpara Avenue, Enugu State, following actionable intelligence linking them to the sale of Naira mints in the Enugu State metropolis