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Nollywood actress jailed 6 months for spraying, stepping on new naira notes

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Nollywood actress jailed 6 months for spraying, stepping on new naira notes
Nollywood Actress Oluwadarasimi Omoseyin
Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Thursday, convicted and sentenced one Oluwadarasimi Omoseyin, an actress, to six months imprisonment for spraying and stepping on the new Naira notes at a social event in Lagos.

Her conviction and sentencing was reported by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a statement on Thursday.

The anti-graft agency said the actress was first arraigned on February 13, 2023, by its Lagos Zonal Command on two-count charges, to which she pleaded “not guilty”.

She was subsequently granted bail on February 15, 2023.

One of the court reads: “That you, Oluwadarasimi Omoseyin, on the 28th day of January 2023, at Monarch Event Centre, Lekki, Lagos, 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.”

At the resumed hearing on Thursday, Omoseyin, however, changed her “not guilty” plea to “guilty”, in view of the overwhelming evidence against her.

Following her “guilty plea”, the prosecution counsel, Z.B. Atiku called Abubakar Mohammed Marafa, an operative of the EFCC to review the facts of the matter.

Marafa recalled that “the defendant was arrested by officers of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, on February 1, 2023, and was handed over to the Commission on February 2, 2023, for further investigation. “

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According to him, the defendant’s statement was taken under caution, where she stated that she attended a friend’s wedding on January 28, 2023, and that she sprayed N200 and N100 Naira notes on the occasion.

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“The defendant was processed and the videos of where she sprayed the money was found on her phone. Also, further investigations were carried out and the management of the event centre was invited. They also brought in the video footage of the said event.”

The prosecution counsel, thereafter, further applied to tender, in evidence, the letter from the ICPC and other accompanying documents, including the extra-judicial statement of the defendant, forensic report of her phone, a CD of videos showing her spraying the naira note, a flash drive from the event centre together with the statement of the representative of the centre.

Justice Aneke admitted them as exhibits and convicted the defendant, as charged. The defence counsel, Afuye Adegbola pleaded for leniency, saying, “She’s a first-time offender; she is a mother of one; she is remorseful and pleads for mercy.”

He further pleaded for a non-custodial sentence on behalf of the convict.

Delivering judgment, Justice Aneke sentenced the defendant to six months imprisonment, effective from Thursday, with an option of N300,000.00 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira only) fine to be paid into the consolidated revenue account of the federation.

Omoseyin bagged her imprisonment when she was arrested by operatives of the ICPC along Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, after the video of her spraying and stepping on the newly redesigned Naira notes at a party surfaced online.

SEE ALSO:  Angry Youths set hotel ablaze over alleged murder of staff

In the viral video, she was also seen flaunting wads of the new Naira notes. In her statement to the Commission, she claimed that she received the new Naira notes from her fans at the party and that she did not know the persons who gave her the money.

Items recovered from her at the point of arrest include a Range Rover.

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Junior Pope: South East filmmakers protest in Enugu

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• Protesting Southeast filmmakers
Different groups involved in filmmaking under the auspices of South East Film Crew Welfare, Wednesday afternoon, took to the street protesting the manner five of their members died after a boat conveying them to shooting location capsized in Anambra River.

Junior Pope, Abigail Frederick, Precious Oforum, Joseph Anointing and Friday Okoroafor, all lost their lives in the unfortunate incident.

Members of Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Creative Designers Guild of Nigeria (CDGN) in Enugu State and others marched on the streets of Enugu metropolis from Okpara Square, Independence Layout, through Rangers Avenue, Bissala Road and terminated at Film Arena, National Museum.

A candle light procession was slated in honour of the fallen heroes and heroines.

Their spokesperson, Jonas Onunweze, a props and set designer, condemned the treatment given to artistes and other Nollywood crew members by film producers.

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SEE ALSO:  Angry Youths set hotel ablaze over alleged murder of staff
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EFCC to arraign Cubana Chief Priest over naira abuse

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EFCC to arraign Cubana Chief Priest over naira abuse
• Cubana Chief Priest

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has filed a three-count charge against Cubana Chief Priest, a popular Instagram celebrity, who has been accused of abusing the naira, Nigeria’s currency.

Cubana, real name Pascal Okechukwu, is expected to be arraigned on Wednesday, April 17, before Justice Kehinde Ogundare of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

Okechukwu is facing three count charges for allegedly spraying and tampering with the naira at a social event contrary to the provisions of the Central Bank Act of 2007.

A copy of the document filed on April 4th by EFFC’s prosecutor Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) alongside seven other lawyers representing the chairman of the Commission read:

1- “that you, Okechukwu Pascal on 13th Feb. 2024, at Eko Hotel, within the jurisdiction of the court, while dancing during a social event, tampered with funds in the denomination of N500 (Five Hundred Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same for two hours, and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act 2007”.

2 – “that you Okechukwu Pascal sometime in 2020, in Lagos during a social event, tampered with funds in the denomination of N500 (Five Hundred Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same for two hours, and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act 2007”.

3 – “that you Okechukwu Pascal sometime in January 2024, in Lagos during a social event, tampered with funds in the denomination of N500 (Five Hundred Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act 2007”.

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Another popular social media personality, Bobrisky was recently sentenced to six months in prison without an option of fine for abusing the naira.

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Grieving Junior Pope’s family appeals for privacy from public

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Junior Pope: AGN bans movies involving boat rides
Junior Pope

The family of late Nollywood star, John Paul Obumneme Odonwodo popularly known by his stage name, Junior Pope, has formally  reacted to the sudden demise of their son, saying the circumstances of his death was “wholly avoidable.”

Junior Pope died in a boat mishap on Wednesday, 10th April, 2024 while going to movie set.

A statement issued by Dr Divine Odonwodo on behalf of the family said the funeral arrangements will be announced soon, while the relevant authorities continue with their investigations into the unfortunate incident.

Dr. Odonwodo also appealed to the public to give the family privacy “as we grieve and mourn this irreparable loss.”

The three-paragraph statement reads:

“We regret to announce the sudden death of our son, brother, husband, friend and very well loved Nollywood movie star, John Paul Obumneme Odonwodo (Junior Pope). This wholly avoidable tragedy took place on the 10th of April, 2024 at Asaba Delta State.

“Funeral arrangements will be announced by the family. While the authorities investigate the circumstances leading to this unfortunate event, the family asks for privacy as we grieve and mourn this irreparable loss.

May his beautiful soul and the souls of all the victims of the boat accident rest in peace. Amen”

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Born on May 7, 1984, in Bamenda, Cameroon, Pope Obumneme Odonwodo, widely recognized as Junior Pope, is a prominent figure in the entertainment industry.

His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Luke Odonwodo, belong to the Ukehe tribe in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State South East Nigeria.  After spending his formative years in Cameroon, Junior Pope completed his primary and secondary education before later relocating to Nigeria.

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Junior Pope’s upbringing in Cameroon provided him with a diverse cultural background and experiences that influenced his personal and professional life.

After completing his education in Cameroon, he made the transition to Nigeria, where he embarked on his journey in the entertainment industry. His multicultural upbringing serves as a significant aspect of his identity and has contributed to shaping his perspective as an actor and public figure.

After completing his college education, Junior Pope attended the University of Nigeria Nsukka in Enugu State, where he graduated with a degree in Accountancy.

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