On Friday, April 25, 2025, Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, remanded a musician, Terry Alexander Ejeh, also known as Terry Apala, to a correctional facility for alleged naira note mutilation.
He was arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, April 25, 2025, on a one-count charge of mutilating the Naira notes.
The charge reads: “That you, TERRY ALEXANDER EJEH, on the 5th day of January, 2025, at La Madison Place, Oniru, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while dancing during a social event, tampered with Naira notes issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by marching on them, and you thus committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007.”
He pleaded not guilty to the offence when it was read to him.
Given his plea, S.I. Suleiman, the prosecution’s attorney, asked the court to remand him to a correctional facility and prayed for a trial date.
Informing the court of a bail application dated April 23, 2025, defense attorney Felix Nwabuda asked the court to set a brief hearing date.
“ Whilst praying the court for a short date for the hearing of the bail application, I will be craving the indulgence of the court to release the defendant to the defence.
“We undertake to produce him in court. He will not evade hearing. He came in from the United Kingdom on April 23, 2025, and on the invitation of the EFCC, he came on his own.”
The prosecution counsel, however, opposed the application, saying, “The application is alien and unheard of.”
“I urge the court to afford us the opportunity to look at the application and respond properly so that the court can make a well -informed ruling,” he said.
In a short ruling, Justice Aluko refused the application of the defence.
Justice Aluko adjourned till May 5, 2025, and ordered the remand of the defendant in the Ikoyi Correctional Centre pending the determination of the bail application.
