Justice Ibrahim Buba of a Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday convicted one James Onwuso who was caught printing fake naira notes.
The judge 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 the convict should be destroyed.
The convict had in 2012 been arraigned on three counts 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 was said to have been found in possession of the machine, printing papers and fake N200, N500 and N1,000 notes.
According to Bode-Ayeni, the offence is contrary to sections 1 (1) and 2 of the Counterfeit Currency (Special Provision) Act Cap C35 of the Laws 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 his plea and the facts before me, you are hereby sentenced to seven years imprisonment on 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 Central Bank of Nigeria for destruction,” Justice Buba said.
