A Federal High Court in Ilorin, Kwara State, presided over by Justice Abimbola Awogboro, on Wednesday sentenced three individuals to various jail terms after finding them guilty of being in possession of fake Naira notes.

The convicts are Olaitan Dina, a 46-year-old aluminium fabricator residing in Maraba, Ilorin; Opeyemi Jeremiah, a bakery worker from the Oke Ero Local Government Area of Kwara State; and Adebayo Mayowa Abiola from Osi, Ekiti State.

The trio was initially arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Kwara State Command, and subsequently handed over to the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for investigation.

Investigations conducted by the EFCC revealed that the Naira notes found in their possession were counterfeit, with several of the notes bearing identical serial numbers.

The defendants, who were prosecuted on separate charges, pleaded guilty to their respective charge.

One of the counts against Dina reads: "That you, Olaitan Dina, sometime in July 2025, at Ilorin within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, uttered 21 pieces of N1,000 notes to one Abiola Adebayo; 11 of them are with the same serial number, Y/64 235922; five are of serial number Y/64 235926; three are with serial number Y/64 235923; and two are with serial number Y/64 235917 respectively, which you knew to be counterfeits and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 5(1)(a) of the Counterfeit Currency (Special Provisions) Act, 1983, and punishable under Section 5(1)(c) of the same Act."

Details of one of the counts against Jeremiah read: "That you, Opeyemi Jeremiah, on or about 19th July 2025, at Ilorin within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, had in your possession 14 pieces of N1,000 notes; seven of them are with the same serial number, Y/64 235922; three are of serial number Y/64 235926; two are with serial number Y/64 235923; and two are with serial number Y/64 235917 respectively, which you knew to be counterfeit and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 5(1)(b) of the Counterfeit Currency (Special Provisions) Act, 1983, and punishable under Section 5(1)(c) of the same Act."

Particulars of the charge against Abiola read: "That you, Adebayo Mayowa Abiola, on or about 19th July 2025, at Ilorin within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, did aid one Afolabi Habeeb Adebayo to procure seven pieces of N1,000 notes; four of them are with the same serial number, Y/64 235922; two are of serial number Y/64 235926; and one is with serial number Y/64 235923 respectively, which you knew to be counterfeits and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 6(1) of the Counterfeit Currency (Special Provisions) Act, 1983, and punishable under Section 5(1)(c) of the same Act."

During the review of facts, the EFCC counsel, Aliyu Adebayo, called Detective Abdulhakeem Sani Umar, an EFCC operative, who testified that the fake notes recovered from the convicts were sent to the Commission's headquarters in Abuja for forensic examination. The analysis confirmed all the notes to be counterfeit.

Adebayo tendered the fake currency and the defendants' extra-judicial statements as evidence, urging the court to convict them as charged.

Delivering judgment, Justice Awogboro held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

"The issue of Naira counterfeiting is a serious crime against the law and society. I wonder what this country is turning into many are involved in drug abuse, some in cybercrime, and now others in counterfeiting. The court must pass a sentence that will serve as a deterrent," she declared.

Justice Awogboro consequently sentenced Dina to 18 months' imprisonment, while Jeremiah and Abiola received 15 months' imprisonment each. All sentences are to run from October 15, 2025, without an option of fine.

The court also ordered that all counterfeit notes recovered from the convicts be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.