
The Circuit Court in Accra, presided over by Her Honour Christiana Cann, has sentenced a 55-year-old Nigerian trader, Aremu Timothy Adegboyega, for smuggling large sums of fake currency into Ghana through an unapproved border route.
The court also ordered his immediate deportation by the Ghana Immigration Service.
Timothy Adegboyega, who was initially on trial after pleading not guilty, changed his plea to guilty midway through proceedings.
He was charged with two counts of possessing forged notes contrary to Section 18(2) of the Currency Act, 1964 (Act 242) and one count of illegal entry into Ghana.
The court imposed the following penalties:
- Possession of Forged Notes (CFA Francs) – A fine of 250 penalty units (equivalent to GH¢3,000). In default, Timothy Adegboyega will serve two years in prison with hard labour.
- Illegal Entry into Ghana – A fine of 120 penalty units (equivalent to GH¢1,440). In default, he will serve another two-year prison term.
- The sentences are to run concurrently, meaning he will serve a maximum of two years if he defaults on payment. In addition to the sentencing, the court directed the Ghana Immigration Service to deport Timothy Adegboyega to Nigeria without delay.
Details of the Case
According to the facts presented by ASP Isaac Anquandah, Adegboyega was arrested on January 17, 2023 by Customs officers stationed at the Aflao border. The officers intercepted him at Beat Zero, an unapproved crossing point along the Ghana-Togo border.
Riding as a pillion passenger on a motorcycle and carrying a backpack, he drew the suspicion of the officers, who searched his belongings.
The search uncovered bundles of currency suspected to be counterfeit: CFA Francs totalling CFA 80,653,000 and Nigerian Naira totaling ?101,500.
Further investigation revealed that the accused had smuggled the forged currency into Ghana from Togo. During interrogation, he confessed in a caution statement that he knew the notes were forged.
He claimed he had received the counterfeit currency from an individual named Alhaji Saibu in Nigeria, acting on instructions from one Alhaji Dials, allegedly a mafia figure based in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The case was handed over to the Ghana Police Service on January 20, 2023, for further investigation, which is reportedly ongoing.
Authorities say the conviction sends a clear message to anyone attempting to undermine Ghana’s financial and border security systems.
In another development, a security officer with G4S Security Services, Tei Quarshie, has been charged alongside two others – Gifty Ahiage and Comfort Tawiah, for allegedly engaging in narcotics-related offences.
The Accra Circuit Court, presided over by Her Honour Mrs. Susana Eduful, granted each of the accused bail in the sum of GH¢80,000, with two sureties to be justified by land title deeds. The case has been adjourned to July 30, 2025.
The accused – Tei Quarshie, 24, a security guard; Gifty Ahiage, 35, a trader; and Comfort Tawiah, 29, unemployed – are facing three charges: conspiracy to engage in the narcotics trade, engaging in illegal narcotics activity, and unlawful possession of narcotic drugs.
Chief Inspector Ebenezer Okuffo Teye, leading the prosecution, told the court that the incident occurred on June 24, 2025.
Detective Chief Inspector Prince Wisdom Sotamah of the Nima Divisional CID, while investigating an unrelated assault case near Maamobi Polyclinic, spotted Quarshie openly smoking a substance suspected to be Indian hemp.
A search of Quarshie’s multicoloured polythene bag allegedly uncovered 60 wrappers of dried leaves believed to be Indian hemp. He was promptly arrested and taken to the Nima Police Station.
During interrogation, Quarshie reportedly named Gifty Ahiage as the source of the narcotics. He subsequently led police to her residence in Maamobi, where both Ahiage and Comfort Tawiah were arrested.
A search of the premises allegedly yielded an additional 997 wrappers of suspected Indian hemp, packed in black mini polythene bags.
Ahiage claimed that the drugs were brought to her by Tawiah for distribution. Tawiah, however, told police that she had received the substances from an individual named Oscar for resale.
Authorities say investigations are ongoing to locate Oscar and to conduct forensic tests on the seized materials.
All three suspects pleaded not guilty. They have been granted bail under strict conditions, with the case set to resume on July 30, 2025.
The post Court orders GIS to deport Nigerian for Smuggling Fake Currency into Ghana appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.
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