Lagos Court Strikes Out Charge Against 19 BDC Operators

Justice Lewis Allagoa of a Federal High Court in Lagos dismissed the allegation against 19 Bureau De Change (BDC) Operators on March 4, following the case’s withdrawal.

The BDC operators were charged with conspiracy, illicit forex trading as BDC operators without regulatory agency licences, and profiting from such unauthorised trading. They were believed to have committed the crime around February 21 in the Lagos city.

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When the matter was called up, Panti, counsel for the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and Umar Bello, a member of the prosecution team, notified the court that they wanted to withdraw the charge against the defendants. Umar stated that he received a call from his supervisors at the office to withdraw the case. He informed the court that he would not proceed with the arraignment of the suspects.

Justice Allagoa subsequently dismissed the charge. The police had previously stated that the offence violated the requirements of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act 2020.

Ibrahim Jubril, Abdullahi Abubakar, Ibrahim Hassan, Adamu Isiaka, Ibrahim Abdulrahman, Jubril Hassan, Mohammed Isoaka, Mohammed Aminu, and Adamu Ibrahim were among the BDC operators to be charged in court. Other participants included Hassan Amadu, Salisu Hamidu, Mahmoud Mohammed, Murtala Usman, Hassan Yakubu, Abdullahi Kabiru, and Ali Sadam. Ahmadu Yusuf, Abdullahi Hussain and Alhaji Sido.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli