Court grants bail to actress arraigned for stepping on new naira notes

The Federal High Court in Lagos has granted bail to an actress, Oluwadarasimi Omoseyin, who was arraigned before the court on Monday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly spraying new naira notes at a party.

Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke who admitted the actress to bail in the sum of N5 million with one surety in like sum also ruled that the surety must be a public servant in the service of the Federation or the Lagos State Government not below the rank of Grade Level 12, or a holder of a genuine statutory certificate of occupancy of a developed landed property within the Lagos State Municipality.

The court also held that the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the original statutory certificate of occupancy of the landed property is to be deposited with the Registrar of the court and in the case of the public servant, an official letter from his or her head of department stating the status and salary level of the surety.

The surety is to also produce to the court, two copies of his recent passport photograph and evidence of payment of tax.

The judge also ordered that the actress be further remanded in the Kirikiri correctional facility pending the perfection of the bail terms, before adjourning the matter till April 3, for trial.

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On February 13, the EFCC had arraigned the actress before the court on a two-count charge of tampering with the sum of N100,000 issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and dancing on the same at the said occasion.

According to the prosecutor, Sulaiman Sulaiman, the offence was contrary to and punishable under section 21 (1) of the Central Bank Act, 2007.

The actress had denied the allegation and pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Following her not-guilty plea, counsel to the actress, Adenike Goncalves, asked the court to grant her client bail pending the hearing and determination of the case.

Adenike Goncalves also urged the court to remand her client in the EFCC’s custody, pending the perfection of the bail terms, if so granted by the court.

The prosecutor in his response had submitted that bail is at the discretion of the court. He also insisted that in the event bail is granted, the conditions of the bail term should be such that would enable the defendant to be present during the trial.

After hearing both lawyers, Justice Aneke fixed February 15th for the ruling on the bail application and ordered that the defendant be remanded in Kirikiri Correctional facility.

The charge against the actress reads: “That you Oluwadarasimi Omoseyin on January 28, 2023 at Monarch event centre, Lekki, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court whilst dancing during a social occasion tampered with the sum of N100, 000.00 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same in the said occasion and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 21 (1) of the Central Bank Act, 2007.”

It would be recalled that the actress (Oluwadarasimi) was arrested by operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Fraud Related Offences Commission (ICPC), on February 1, 2023 along Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, and was handed over to the EFCC for investigation.

The 31-year-old was arrested after the video of her spraying and stepping on the newly redesigned naira notes at a party surfaced online.

In the viral video, she was also seen flaunting wads of the new naira notes.

Channels/Platinum