EFCC arraigns bankers for selling new naira notes

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned two staff of new generation banks, Ekpe Anayaoha Okoronkwo and Umeonuoha Onyinye, before the Federal High Court sitting in Independence Layout, Enugu State, for allegedly selling newly-minted N500,000.

The bankers were arraigned before the court on Thursday, December 12, 2024.

They were arraigned on a one-count charge bordering on currency racketeering to the tune of N500,000.

The lone count charge read: “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 N500,000 mints in 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.”

The first defendant (Okoronkwo) pleaded guilty to the charge while Onyinye pleaded not guilty.

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Following their pleas, the EFCC counsel and Chief Superintendent of the anti-graft agency, CSE Rotimi Ajobiewe, prayed the court for a short date to review the facts of 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 said.

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

The presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Umar, thereafter adjourned the matter to January 15, 2025, for hearing of bail application for Onyinye and for the conviction and sentencing of Okoronkwo.

The bankers were remanded at the Enugu State correctional facility.

The Star