The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Kano Zonal Office on Thursday, October 10, 2019 arraigned one Salisu Mohammed and Saminu Lazarus before Justice O.A. Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Kano State on a two-count charge bordering on possession of counterfeit currency.
Mohammed was arrested in Dauran Sallau, a community in Kura Local Government, Kano State for being in possession of fake naira and dollar notes – 91 pieces of N1,000 notes, two pieces of $50 notes and 44 pieces of $100 notes.
Investigations by the EFCC indicted Lazarus as the supplier of the fake currency notes.
Count one of the charges reads: “That you, Salisu Mohammed and Saminu Lazarus sometime in June 2019 in Kano within the Jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Kano did conspire between yourselves to commit an illegal act and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 6 (2) (b) and punishable under Section 5 (1) (b) of the Counterfeit Currency (Special Provisions) Act, C35, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.”
They pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.
In view of this, counsel for the EFCC, Musa Isah, urged the court to fix a date for hearing and to remand them in prison.
Counsel for the defence, Sani Wadau, however, prayed the court to hear the application for the bail of the first defendant, and requested to approach the court at a later date to move the application for the bail of the second defendant.
Justice Egwuatu, however, declined to hear the bail applications on different days, and so adjourned to October 17, 2019 to hear the bail applications for both of them and commencement of trial. They were also ordered to be remanded in prison.