Simisola Gold, the actress formerly known as Oluwadarasimi Omoseyin, has been handed a six-month prison sentence by Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos. The conviction stems from her actions of spraying and stepping on newly designed naira notes at a social event in Lagos State.
The 32-year-old actress was apprehended by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Fraud Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in February, following the circulation of videos depicting the inappropriate handling of the currency notes at a party. Initially arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on February 13, 2023, she had pleaded “not guilty” to the two-count charges.
Despite being granted bail on February 15, 2023, Simisola Gold changed her plea to “guilty” during the recent hearing, citing overwhelming evidence against her. The prosecution counsel, Z.B. Atiku, presented Abubakar Mohammed Marafa, an EFCC operative, to review the case’s facts.
The prosecution, represented by Atiku, sought to tender several documents and materials as evidence, including a letter from the ICPC, the defendant’s extra-judicial statement, a forensic report of her phone, videos showing the currency mistreatment, and statements from the event center’s representative. Justice Aneke admitted these as exhibits and subsequently convicted Simisola Gold.
In defense, Afuye Adegbola, the defense counsel, appealed for leniency, emphasizing that the actress was a first-time offender, a mother of one, and expressed genuine remorse. Pleading for a non-custodial sentence, Adegbola stated that Simisola Gold had learned from her mistake.
In delivering the judgment, Justice Aneke sentenced the actress to six months imprisonment, effective immediately, with the alternative of a N300,000 fine to be paid into the consolidated revenue account of the federation.