DO THE RIGHT THING:

Reveal all money laundering and counterfeit

” Imagine going to the Bank to withdraw cash and you were issued fake Bank notes ”

This was the case before Justice A.O. Awogboro of the federal High court Ikoyi, Lagos, where one Saidu Abdu Abdullahi was arraigned in November, 2021 on 3-count charge bordering on (1) that on 30th April,2021 Saidu Abdu Abdullahi had in his possession 12 pieces of €500 counterfeit bank notes knowing that they are fake (2) that he Saidu Abdu Abdullahi on the 30th April, 2021 uttered the 12 pieces of the Euro counterfeit bank notes knowing that they are counterfeit. The charge which he pleaded not guilty.

According to the prosecution witness, Saidu Abdu Abdullahi deposited €482,000 (four hundred and eighty two thousand Euro) counterfeit notes at 93 different times, into 58 different accounts, at the Ajah-lekki branch of the access bank.

The prosecution witness, Chuks Igboerika narrated how they discovered the fake currencies. He further revealed that the currencies were received by the retail operation staff of the Bank branch. He said Saidu Abdu Abdullahi between April-August, 2021 contributed about 94% of the total Euro deposited in the branch.

Chuks Igboerika PWI, recounts that the Bank started suspecting, when complaints were coming from customers of the Bank, who claimed that the money paid to them by bank was fake, after they had travelled with it; including other banks who received the same Euro notes from their Bank.

And the Bank went into investigation to ascertain the sources of the fake currencies, it was shown that the defendant, Saidu Abdu Abdullahi deposited the fake currencies; that he deposited them into third party account, because he does not have a foreign account with the Bank.

The witness further stated that when they detected the fake currencies, they reported to the EFCC, which carried out a forensic examination and found the Euro notes as counterfeit. According to him, the bank can only hold responsible the man that deposited the money and filled the deposit slip of the bank for any case of fake currencies, and not anyone else. He however said that, one of their challenges was that their currency note detector machine was not up to date, as such could not detect the money as fake.

This case was adjourned to February 19th, 2022 for continuation of hearing.