Justice Lewis Allagoa of a Federal High Court in Lagos, on Monday, dismissed the charges against 19 Bureau de Change (BDC) Operators after the case was withdrawn.
The individuals involved include Ibrahim Jubril, Abdullahi Abubakar, Ibrahim Hassan, Adamu Isiaka, Ibrahim Abdulrahman, Jubril Hassan, Mohammed Isoaka, Mohammed Aminu, and Adamu Ibrahim. Also among them are Hassan Amadu, Salisu Hamidu, Mahmoud Mohammed, Murtala Usman, Hassan Yakubu, Abdullahi Kabiru, and Ali Sadam.
Additionally, Ahmadu Yusuf, Abdullahi Hussain, and Alhaji Sido were named.
They faced charges of conspiracy and engaging in unauthorized forex trading as Bureau de Change (BDC) operators without the requisite license from regulatory bodies, leading to the acquisition of various sums of money through such unauthorized activities. These alleged offenses occurred around February 21 within the Lagos metropolis.
During the court proceedings, Mr. Umaru Bello, representing the prosecution from the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Panti, announced his presence.
Subsequently, the prosecutor expressed his intention to withdraw the charges against the defendants.
He informed the court that he was instructed by his superiors at the office to retract the case and consequently stated that he would not be pursuing the arraignment of the suspects.
Consequently, Justice Allagoa dismissed the charge. Earlier, the police had stated that the offense violated the provisions of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act 2020.