A Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday convicted one James Onwuso who was caught printing fake naira notes.

The judge, Justice Ibrahim Buba, sentenced Onwuso to seven years imprisonment and ordered the forfeiture of the machine used by the convict to print the fake naira notes to the Central Bank of Nigeria.

He also gave an order that the fake N200, N500 and N1,000 notes recovered from him be destroyed.

The convict had, in 2012, been arraigned on three counts bordering on the offence by the Attorney General of the Federation.


 
The state prosecutor, Kehinde Bode-Ayeni, told the court that Onwuso was arrested on November 15, 2011, in the Gbagada area of Lagos State.

He said the convict was found in possession of the machine, printing papers and fake N200, N500 and N1,000 notes.

According to Bode-Ayeni, the offence was contrary to sections 1 (1) and 2 of the Counterfeit Currency (Special Provision) Act Cap C35 of the Law of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

Justice Buba convicted Onwuso on the strength of his confessional statement tendered in evidence by the prosecution.

The convict had in his confessional statement told investigators that he went into the illegal venture after retiring from the Nigerian Army, adding that he had a supplier who brought him printing papers.

In his judgment on Thursday, Justice Buba said the prosecution proved its case against the convict beyond reasonable doubts, adding that the court had no difficulty in arriving at its verdict.

“In view of the facts before me, you are hereby sentenced to seven years, imprisonment for count one and another seven years for counts one and two, to run concurrently beginning from the time of arrest.

“The counterfeit notes and machines are to be forwarded to the CBN for destruction,” Justice Buba held.