Naira Marley’s Cybercrime Trial Delayed

The trial of singer Azeez Fashola, also known as Naira Marley, for alleged cybercrime was delayed at the Federal High Court in Lagos due to the pending approval of a fiat by the chief judge of the court.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is prosecuting Fashola for the alleged cybercrime, with charges filed on May 14, 2019.

Fashola, known for the song “Am I a Yahoo Boy,” pleaded not guilty when arraigned before Justice Nicholas Oweibo on May 20, 2019, who granted him bail.

The case was later transferred to Justice Isaac Dipeolu after Oweibo was transferred out of the Lagos division.

During the last hearing on March 6, both defence and prosecution counsel informed Justice Dipeolu about the pending fiat awaiting approval.

The case was adjourned until May 30 for an update, but as of the latest hearing, the fiat had not been approved. No new date has been set for the continuation of the trial.

The EFCC alleges that Fashola committed the offenses between November 26, 2018, and December 11, 2018, as well as on May 10, 2019, by conspiring to defraud victims using different ATM cards.

The commission also accuses him of possessing counterfeit credit cards with the intent to defraud, which violates the Cyber Crime (Prohibition) Prevention Act, 2015.

NAN