Naira Marley charged with 11 counts of credit card fraud

Naira Marley could be serving a minimum of seven years in jail if he is found guilty of multiple counts of credit card fraud against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

After almost a week in custody, the anti-graft agency will arraign the rapper, born Azeez Adeshina Fashola, before a Lagos Federal High Court on Monday, 20 May, over allegations of card theft and forgery.

Court documents filed before a Lagos State High Court with suit number FHC/L/178C/19, show that the EFCC has slammed 11-count charges against the musician and his cohorts, many of who are still at large.

Most of the charges border on the use of forged or stolen access card to obtain money – offences which are punishable by the Cyber Crimes Prohibition law of Nigeria.

The charge dated May 14, 2019, was personally signed and collected by Naira Marley on May 15, 2019, who is still being detained by the EFCC in Lagos.

Count One of the charges reads: “That you, Azeez Adeshina Fashola, aka Naira Marley and Yad Isril (still at large) on or about the 26th day of November 2018, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired among yourselves to use access card No. 5264711020433662 issued to persons other than you in a bid to obtain gain and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27 (1) (b) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015 and punishable under section 32 of the same act.

Count Two reads: “That you, Azeez Adeshina Fashola, aka Naira Marley and Yad Isril (still at large) on or about the 26th day of November 2018, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court attempted to use card No. 5264711020433662 issued to persons other than you in a bid to obtain gain and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27 (1) (b) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015 and punishable under section 32 of the same act.

Count three says: “That you, Azeez Adeshina Fashola, aka Naira Marley and Raze (still at large) on or about the 26th day of November 2018, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired among yourselves to use access card No. 42658840359191132 issued to persons other than you in a bid to obtain gain and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27 (1) (b) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015 and punishable under section 32 of the same act.

Count Four reads: “That you, Azeez Adeshina Fashola, aka Naira Marley and Raze (still at large) on or about the 11th day of December 2018, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court attempted to use card access No. conspired among yourselves to use access card No. 42658840359191132 issued to persons other than you in a bid to obtain gain and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27 (1) (b) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015 and punishable under section 32 of the same act.

Count Five reads: “That you, Azeez Adeshina Fashola, aka Naira Marley on or about the 10th day of May 2019, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with an intent to defraud, possessed counterfeit card with No. 42658840359191132 issued to another person and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 33 (9) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015.

Count Six: “That you, Azeez Adeshina Fashola, aka Naira Marley on or about the 10th day of May 2019, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with an intent to defraud, possessed counterfeit card with No. 5264711020433662 issued to another person and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 33 (9) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015.

Count Seven: “That you, Azeez Adeshina Fashola, aka Naira Marley on or about the 10th day of May 2019, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with an intent to defraud, possessed counterfeit card with No. 5573793034017422 issued to another person and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 33 (9) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015.

Count Eight: “That you, Azeez Adeshina Fashola, aka Naira Marley on or about the 10th day of May 2019, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with an intent to defraud, possessed counterfeit card with No. 4539782440624281 issued to Nicole Louise Malyon and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 33 (9) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015.

Count Nine: “That you, Azeez Adeshina Fashola, aka Naira Marley on or about the 10th day of May 2019, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with an intent to defraud, possessed counterfeit card with No. 4921819410257431 issued to Timea Fedorne Tatar and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 33 (9) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015.

Count Ten: ““That you, Azeez Adeshina Fashola, aka Naira Marley on or about the 10th day of May 2019, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court attempted to retain possession of more than two cards issues in the name of different cardholders and which cards were retained under circumstances which constitute card theft and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27 (1) (a) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015 and punishable under section 34 of the same act.

Count 11: ““That you, Azeez Adeshina Fashola, aka Naira Marley on or about the 10th day of May 2019, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did retain the possession of more than two cards issued in the name of different cardholders and which cards were retained under circumstances which constitute a card theft and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 34 of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015.