The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday, secured the conviction of four counterfeit currency dealers before Justice Simon Amobeda of the Federal High Court, Kebbi, on a four-count charge of conspiracy and possession of counterfeit currency.

The convicts, Usman Ahmed, Isiyaku Mohammed, Mohammed Abubakar Badadi and Rilwanu Abdullahi, were arrested by officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, at Birnin Kebbi, while in possession of N583,000 in fake one thousand Naira notes.

The case was eventually transferred to EFCC for further investigation.

The accused persons pleaded guilty. In view of the plea, prosecution counsel, N. K. Ukoha, urged the court to convict them accordingly.

Before the sentence was delivered, counsel for the defendants, S. B. Ka’Oje, pleaded with the court to tamper justice with mercy given that the convicts are first time offenders with no criminal records.

Amobeda sentenced the convicts to five years imprisonment on each of the four count charge, saying the sentence will run concurrently and to begin from the day of their arrest.