A Federal High Court sitting in Makurdi, Benue State has sentenced one Otene Olafikwu to two years imprisonment for possessing and altering two units of counterfeit Fifty United States Dollar notes.
The court presided over by Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon gave Otene an option of fine of N100,000 for the crime.
The convict was arraigned on a two-count charge with three others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Makurdi Zonal office, on Thursday, February 6, 2020, where they pleaded ‘not guilty’.
Olafikwu later enterred a plea bargain with the Commission and changed his plea to “‘guilty’.
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In view of his guilty plea, and subsequent review of the facts of the case, the prosecution counsel, Y.Y. Tarfa, prayed the court to convict him accordingly.
Counsel to the convict I. M. Mari, however, pleaded with the Court to temper justice with mercy, saying his client was a first-time offender.
After hearing his plea, Justice Olajuwon convicted and sentenced the convict to two years imprisonment, with an option of fine of N100,000.00.
One of the counts reads: “That you, Otene Paul Ofilakwu, Janet Tyondugh, Simon Atsen and John Garba Aondohemba sometime in 2019 in Makurdi, Benue State within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court, did alter two $50 U.S notes bearing serial No. B121997021C and B121997020C knowing same to be counterfeit bank currency notes and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 5(1)(a) and punishable under section 5 of the Counterfeit Currency (Special Prohibition) Act CAP. C35 LFN 2004″.
