Judge remands singer Naira Marley in prison (Full Story)

Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered that up-and-coming  artiste Azeez Fashola, who goes by the stage name Naira Marley, be remanded in the prison.

The judge made the remand order on Monday morning shortly after Naira Marley was arraigned  on 11 counts bordering on credit card fraud.

Naira Marley pleaded not guilty to the cyber fraud charges pressed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The judge adjourned till May 30 to take the bail application filed by the defence counsel, Taiwo Oreagba, on behalf of her client.

Following the court order, Naira Marley was led into the holding cell on the court premises by prison officials accompanied by policemen and EFCC officials.

At the court  were  the  singer’s relatives, including his mother, who looked distraught.

The mother looked on as her son was led away by security. But she was later permitted into the holding cell where Naira Marley was held temporarily before being taken to Ikoyi Prison.

In the charges against him, the EFCC alleged that Naira Marley conspired with Yad Isril and Raze, said to be at large, to use access cards, with numbers 5264711020433662 and 42658840359191132, “issued to persons other than you in a bid to obtain gain.”

The EFCC also alleged that Naira Marley was on May 10, 2019 found in possession of two counterfeit access cards Nos. 4539782440624281 and 492189410257431 issued in the names of  Nicole Louise Malyon and Timea Fedorne Tatar, respectively.

The anti-graft agency said the  artiste retained the two cards and another one with number 5264711020433662, issued to an unknown person “under circumstances which constitute card theft.”

The prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, told the court that Naira Marley acted contrary to Section 27 (1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015.

He said the musician was liable to be punished under sections 33(9) and 34 of the same Act.

– Punch