The Lagos Zonal Command of the EFCC on Tuesday, May 31, 2022, 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.
The convict was arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on tampering with the Nigerian note, an offense contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Establishment) Act.
One of the counts 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 offense 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.”
He has an option to pay a $482 (N200,000) fine instead of serving the sentence.