Court Jails Chinese Two Years for Naira Mutilation

June 1, 2022

The Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday secured the conviction and sentencing of one Li Lei Lei, a Chinese national, to 24 months imprisonment for mutilating the Nigerian currency.

He was convicted by Justice I. Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.

According to the EFCC in a statement, the convict was arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on tampering of the Nigerian note, an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Establishment) Act.

One of the count reads: “That you, Li Lei Lei, on or about the 17th day of May, 2022, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, tampered with One Thousand Naira (N1,000) Note, with serial number 947882 issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Establishment) Act, Cap C4, Vol.1, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2010.”