Nigerian actress Oluwadarasimi Omoseyin has been sentenced to six months in prison for her involvement in a controversial incident at a social event in Lagos. The Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, convicted and sentenced Omoseyin on Thursday, February 1, 2024, for spraying and stepping on the new Naira notes, as reported by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Omoseyin, who initially pleaded not guilty to the charges, changed her plea to guilty during the hearing due to overwhelming evidence against her.
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Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke handed down the verdict, with Omoseyin facing six months imprisonment effective immediately, or the option to pay a fine of N300,000 into the federation’s consolidated revenue account.
The EFCC’s statement outlined the charges against Omoseyin, stating that she tampered with N100,000 in Naira notes during the event, a violation of the Central Bank Act, 2007. The agency’s action comes as part of its efforts to enforce the proper handling of the national currency.
This incident echoes a previous warning issued by the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to the Olu of Owode Egba, Oba Aremo Sowemimo, for a similar offense. Sowemimo was cautioned after a viral video showed him spraying Naira notes during a ceremony, prompting the NOA Director General, Lanre Issa-Onilu, to emphasize the legal consequences of such actions.