Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Friday, April 25, 2025, ordered the remand of musician Terry Alexander Ejeh, popularly known as Terry Apala, at a Correctional Centre over allegations of Naira note mutilation.
Ejeh was arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a one-count charge related to the alleged offence.
According to the charge, “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 at a social event, tampered with Naira notes issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by trampling on them, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007.”
Upon the reading of the charge, Ejeh pleaded not guilty. Following his plea, the prosecution counsel, S.I. Suleiman, requested a trial date and moved for the defendant to be remanded in custody pending trial.
Meanwhile, the defence counsel, Felix Nwabuda, notified the court of a pending bail application dated April 23, 2025, and requested a short adjournment for its hearing.
“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 brief ruling, Justice Aluko dismissed the defence’s application and adjourned the matter to May 5, 2025, for the hearing of the bail application.
The judge also ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre pending the outcome of the bail proceedings.