Two Nigerians convicted on appeal over counterfeit notes in Gaoua
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Netafrique
The Bobo-Dioulasso Court of Appeal has upheld the sentences of two Nigerian nationals convicted of possessing and circulating counterfeit banknotes. Each had been sentenced to 60 months in prison, including 36 months without parole, a fine of 1 million CFA francs and a five-year ban from staying in Burkina Faso, Netafrique reports.
Two Nigerian nationals, known by the aliases John and Fredo, have been convicted on appeal of possessing and circulating counterfeit banknotes in Gaoua, in south-western Burkina Faso. The ruling was handed down on 26 October 2026 by the Bobo-Dioulasso Court of Appeal, during a mobile hearing at the Gaoua High Court, according to Netafrique.
At first instance, on 14 July, each man had been sentenced to 60 months in prison, including 36 months without parole, and a fine of 1 million CFA francs. They had also been banned from staying in Burkina Faso for five years after serving their sentences. The two men appealed on 17 July, seeking reduced penalties, according to Netafrique.
The case reportedly began with an offer received on social media from a man said to be living in Benin. John and Fredo allegedly paid 150,000 CFA francs in exchange for 300,000 CFA francs in counterfeit banknotes, which they then spent in shops and with traders in Gaoua. Several traders reportedly recognised the suspicious notes and helped apprehend them. At the hearing, the two defendants gave contradictory accounts, mentioning in particular an alleged charlatan who had promised to multiply their money, Netafrique reports.
