A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the remand of Nigerian hip-hop artiste, Terry Alexander Ejeh, popularly known as Terry Apala, at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre over allegations of tampering with the naira.
Justice Akintayo Aluko issued the remand order on Friday, April 25, 2025, following the arraignment of the singer by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
According to the charge brought against him, Terry Apala is accused of stepping on naira notes while dancing during a social event held on January 5, 2025, at Madison Place in Oniru, Lagos Island. The EFCC said the act constituted a breach of Section 21(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act 2007.
The charge read, “That you, TERRY ALEXANDER EJEH, on the 5th day of January 2025 at Madison Place, Oniru, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court, whilst dancing during a social event, tampered with Naira currency issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by matching on it, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act 2007.”
EFCC counsel, Sulaimon Sulaiman, requested that the defendant be remanded in custody and that a trial date be fixed, stating that the commission was prepared to present its case.
Terry Apala, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
His counsel, Felix Nwakbudu, told the court that a bail application had already been filed and urged the court to consider it immediately.
But the EFCC lawyer objected, arguing that he required additional time to study the application before filing a response.
In his ruling, Justice Aluko upheld the objection and directed that the defendant be held in prison custody until the bail application could be heard.
The judge fixed May 5, 2025, for the hearing of the bail application and for the commencement of trial, which he said would proceed swiftly.
