A Federal High Court 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 Naira abuse.
Justice Akintayo Aluko issued the remand order on Friday, 25 April 2025, following Apala’s arraignment by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a one-count charge.
The charge relates to an incident on 5 January 2025 at La Madison Place, Oniru, where the musician allegedly trampled on naira notes during a social event, in contravention of Section 21(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007. Terry Apala pleaded not guilty to the charge.
During the court proceedings, the prosecution counsel, S.I. Suleiman, requested a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendant pending the commencement of the trial. In response, the defence counsel, Felix Nwabuda, informed the court of a pending bail application dated 23 April 2025 and sought a short adjournment for its hearing. He also requested that the court release the defendant to the defence team, assuring that Apala would be available for subsequent hearings.
However, Justice Aluko declined the request, stating that the prosecution must be given the opportunity to respond formally to the bail application. The court subsequently adjourned the matter to 5 May 2025 for the hearing of the bail application and ordered that Apala be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre in the interim.
The case forms part of a wider crackdown by Nigerian authorities on the abuse of the national currency, with several celebrities and public figures recently facing similar charges. The EFCC has intensified its enforcement efforts against the mutilation and improper handling of the naira.
