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November 14, 2024
According to a video of the incident, the Chinese national who was seen putting on only shorts suddenly pulled out the Naira notes from his pocket and tore them in front of some Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) officials.
A Chinese citizen based in Lagos State whose identity is yet to be ascertained has been caught on camera tearing some Nigerian Naira notes believed to be N1000 notes.
According to a video of the incident, the Chinese national who was seen putting on only shorts suddenly pulled out the Naira notes from his pocket and tore them in front of some Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) officials.
An X user, @dammiedammie35, who posted the video said that the incident happened on Wednesday in front of a sealed Chinese company located opposite Eko Kate along Lekki-Epe expressway in Lagos.
The netizen, who said that the Chinese citizen tore the Nigerian currency because the Chinese company was sealed wrote, “Yesterday at a Chinese company opposite Eko Kate along Lekki Epe expressroad, this Chinese man for reasons best known to him pulled out some Naira notes and tore in front of some Lagos government officials for sealing his premises based on some laws he broke.”
In the viral video, while the LASEPA officials rushed to arrest the Chinese citizen after tearing the Naira notes, many Nigerians believed to be workers in the sealed company quickly rose in defence of the Chinese national, pushing away the officials and attempting to mob them.
Yesterday at a Chinese company opposite Eko Kate along Lekki Epe express road, this Chinese man for reasons best known to him pulled out some Naira notes and tore Infront of some Lagos government officials for sealing his premises based on some laws he broke. pic.twitter.com/CH12NrMnto
— Oyindamola🙄 (@dammiedammie35) November 14, 2024
Meanwhile, the witness who recorded the video kept shouting, “He tear Nigerian money. The Chinese man tear Nigerian money. It is a disrespect to Nigeria. He has disrespected Nigeria.”
When contacted for reaction and comment on the action to be taken against the Chinese citizen over the Naira abuse offence, the spokesperson for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Dele Ayewale, told SaharaReporters that he heard about the incident but had not seen the video.
SaharaReporters sent the video to the EFCC spokesperson and he promised to revert back but he has not gotten back to SaharaReporters till the time of filing this report.
In May 2022, SaharaReporters reported how Justice I. Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, convicted and sentenced a Chinese national identified as Li Lei Lei to two years imprisonment for mutilating Nigerian naira notes tearing in pieces Nigerian Naira amounting to N3,200.
Li Lei Lei was arrested by the operatives of the EFCC, Lagos Zonal Command and arraigned before Justice I. Nicholas Oweibo, on four counts bordering on tampering with the Nigerian Naira note, an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Establishment) Act.
Justice Oweibo found the accused guilty as charged and sentenced him to two years imprisonment.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had on several occasions cautioned the public against abusing the Naira.
For instance, in May 2021, the Principal Manager, Currency Operations Department, Mrs. Dorothy Onyene, urged traders and other Nigerians to stop abusing the Naira.
Onyene condemned the way some Nigerians mutilate, fold, and deface the Naira, saying, “It is a punishable offence to abuse the Naira. Defaulters are liable to six months imprisonment and/or N50,000 fine.
“Improper handling of the notes, including mutilation, hawking, squeezing and spraying money at events would not be tolerated.”
Also, on April 12, 2024, Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court, sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, sentenced popular Nigerian crossdresser, Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, to six months imprisonment over mutilation of the Naira notes.
Bobrisky was arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on mutilation of the Naira notes to the tune of N490, 000, 00 (Four Hundred and Ninety Thousand Naira).
He pleaded “guilty” to the charges when they were read to him.
Consequently, the prosecution counsel, S.I. Sulaiman, prayed the court to convict and sentence the defendant accordingly.
Delivering his judgment, Justice Awogboro held, “The act of mutilating the Naira notes has become a menace, which has continued to damage the image of the country…
“Enough of people mutilating and tampering with our currencies. It has to stop. His will serve as a deterrent to others.”
The Judge, therefore, sentenced him to six months imprisonment, without an option of fine, from the date of his remand.