…Singer pleads not guilty, to remain in custody till May 5
A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Friday ordered the remand of popular musician, Terry Alexander Ejeh, widely known as Terry Apala, in a correctional facility over an allegation of naira mutilation.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned the artiste on a one-count charge of tampering with currency notes—an offence said to have been committed during a social event earlier this year.
According to the charge presented in court, the defendant allegedly danced on naira notes on January 5, 2025, at La Madison Place, Oniru, thereby violating Section 21(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007.
Terry Apala, who returned from the United Kingdom on April 23, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Following his plea, EFCC counsel, S.I. Suleiman, requested the court to remand the defendant and fix a date for trial. However, the defendant’s counsel, Felix Nwabuda, urged the court to grant his client bail, stressing that Apala voluntarily honoured the EFCC’s invitation and posed no flight risk.
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“We undertake to produce him in court. He will not evade hearing,” Nwabuda assured, appealing for his client’s temporary release pending the hearing of the formal bail application filed on April 23.
Suleiman opposed the request, calling it “alien and unheard of,” and requested time to respond appropriately.
Ruling on the matter, Justice Akintayo Aluko rejected the defence’s plea and ordered that Terry Apala be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre until the bail hearing scheduled for May 5, 2025.
The case has since attracted public attention, especially among fans and civil rights advocates following ongoing debates around naira abuse enforcement.