The Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction of three persons for offences bordering on possession of counterfeit currencies before Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State.

The convicts are Salisu Nura, a cattle transporter from Tagwoyen Faye in Jigawa State; Umar Mikailu, a teacher from Tarauni Local Government Area of Kano State; and Haruna Abubakar, a Bureau De Change operator. They were convicted and sentenced to various jail terms after the court found them guilty of the charges preferred against them by the EFCC.

Nura and Mikailu were initially arrested by operatives of the Kwara State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) during a stop-and-search operation on January 27, 2026, and were subsequently handed over to the EFCC for further investigation and prosecution. During the operation, Nura was found in possession of 435 pieces of counterfeit $100 notes and 378 pieces of counterfeit £50 notes, contrary to Section 5(1)(b) of the Counterfeit Currency (Special Provisions) Act, Cap C35, Vol. 4, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Following the conclusion of investigations, Nura and Mikailu were arraigned together, while Abubakar was prosecuted separately on a lone-count charge.

One of the charges against Nura reads:

“That you, Salisu Nura, on or about the 24th day of January, 2026, at Jebba Road, Kwara State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, had 813 (Eight Hundred and Thirteen) counterfeit banknotes in your possession and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 5(1)(b) of the Counterfeit Currency (Special Provisions) Act, Cap C35, Vol. 4, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”

Another charge reads:

“That you, Salisu Nura, Umar Mikailu, and Akilu Salisu, sometime in January 2026, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dealt in counterfeit banknotes, to wit: 70 pieces of United States of America $100.00 (One Hundred Dollar) denomination banknotes with serial number AK67112191A, knowing same to be counterfeit, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 4(1) of the Counterfeit Currency (Special Provisions) Act, Cap C35, Vol. 4, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”

The charge against Abubakar reads:

“That you, Haruna Abubakar, between the 4th day of September, 2024 and the 8th day of May, 2025, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, carried on the business of an ‘other financial institution,’ to wit: bureau de change, without a valid licence issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 57(1) of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act, 2020 and punishable under Section 57(5)(b) of the same Act.”

The defendants pleaded guilty to the charges, except Nura, who pleaded not guilty to the eleven-count charge filed against him. Consequently, Justice Awogboro adjourned Nura’s case till May 19, 2026, for commencement of trial and ordered that he be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service pending trial.

Thereafter, prosecution counsel, Ola Sesan and Rashidat Alao, reviewed the facts of the cases and tendered the defendants’ extra-judicial statements, as well as the counterfeit foreign currencies and other items recovered from them at the point of arrest. The exhibits were admitted in evidence.

The prosecution thereafter urged the court to convict the6 defendants based on the unchallenged evidence, their guilty pleas, and the exhibits tendered.

In his judgment, Justice Awogboro sentenced Nura and Mikailu to two years’ imprisonment without the option of a fine, while ordering the forfeiture of the counterfeit currencies to the Federal Government.

Similarly, Abubakar was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment or an option of N1 million fine.