For being sighted in a viral video, spraying newly printed Naira notes, a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, ordered the remand of an actress, Oluwadarasimi Omoseyin in a Correctional facility over abuse of Naira notes.

Justice Chukwuejekwu Aneke remanded the actress after pleaded not guilty to the two-counts charge brought against her by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

EFCC alleged that whilst dancing during a social occasion, she  tampered with the sum of N100, 000.00 issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria  (CBN) by dancing on same at the said occasion.

Her offence was contrary to and punishable under section 21 (1) of the Central Bank Act, 2007.

The judge ordered Omoseyin to be remanded in Kirikiri female section of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS), till February 15, when her bail application would be heard and determined.

Part of the charge reads: “That you Oluwadarasimi Omoseyin on January 28, 2023 at  
Monarch event centre, Lekki, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court whilst dancing during a social occasion tampered with the sum of N100, 000.00 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same in the said occasion and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 21 (1) of the Central Bank Act, 2007.”

Following the defendant’s plea of not guilty to the charge, the prosecuting counsel, Sulaiman Sulaiman, asked the court for a trial date and urged that the defendant be remanded   in the appropriate correctional facility.

In her response, counsel to the defendant, Adenike Goncalves, prayed the court to grant the defendant bail pending the hearing and determination of the case.

She also prayed that her client be remanded in EFCC custody pending the perfection of the bail terms if so granted by the court.

The prosecutor in his response submitted that bail is at the discretion of the court, he prayed that in the event bail is granted, the conditions of the bail term should be such that would enable the defendant to be present during the trial.

Justice Aneke, however, fixed ruling on the bail application to February 15, 2023 and remanded the defendant in Kirikiri Correctional facility.

Recall that the actress (Oluwadarasimi) was arrested by operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Fraud Related Offences Commission (ICPC), on February 1, 2023 along Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, and was handed over to the EFCC for investigation.