The Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has sentenced two women to six months in prison each for illegally trading and hawking naira notes.
Justice A. Aluko handed down the sentences on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, after the two defendants, Mutairu Omowunmi Tawa and Faith Chukwujeku, pleaded guilty to separate charges brought against them by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The EFCC disclosed the development in a post on its official X account on Tuesday.
Tawa was charged with selling and trading N850,000 at Salamagic Event Centre, Onikan, Lagos, on July 25, 2026.
The charge stated that she “did sell and trade in the sum of N850,000.00,” contrary to Section 21(4) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007, as amended.
Chukwujeku, on the other hand, was accused of hawking N1.3 million in N200 denominations in Lagos on the same day.
According to the EFCC, the charge against her stated that she “engaged in hawking the total sum of N1,300,000” in N200 notes issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Both women pleaded guilty after the charges were read to them.
Following their pleas, prosecution counsel, Fanen Anum, presented the facts of the cases before the court and urged the judge to convict and sentence them accordingly.
Anum also asked the court to order the forfeiture of the cash recovered from the defendants to the Federal Government, describing it as the instrument used in committing the offences.
In his judgment, Justice Aluko found Tawa and Chukwujeku guilty and sentenced each of them to six months’ imprisonment, with an option of a N50,000 fine.
The judge also ordered the forfeiture of the cash marked as Exhibit C to the Federal Government, describing it as the instrument used in committing the crime.