Matilda Omonaiye/
The police in Lagos have so far held 18 offenders, since they warned members of the public against Naira abuse, over a week ago.
According to the police, six suspects were arrested last week and 12 at the weekend.
Working in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the police paraded the 12 arrested Naira note vendors in Lagos at the State Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti, Yaba.
They are all women hawking Naira notes at party venues in different parts of Lagos.
The police had earlier warned that such act contravenes Section 21 of the CBN Act, 2007.
‘We are also going to start arresting Nigerians who organize events and allow those selling Naira notes in their venues. Already, we have started arresting people who spray money at social events. Sanity must return to our system and our currency must be respected.’
The suspects were identified as Fausat Jimoh, Bisoye Oyegbile, Balikis Ajadi, Bisola Amoru, Abidemi Oladejo and Ajoke Suraj. They allegedly sold mint notes at social events.
Parading the suspect, the officer in charge at SCIID, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Bolaji Salami said, “We are clamping down on those abusing our currency. It is an offence to sell Naira notes at weddings or any gathering. It contravenes the CBN Act. We arrested six suspects the previous weekend and today (Friday) we have arrested six others.
“We recovered N35, 500 from these suspects but N465, 000 was recovered from those arrested last week. They would be charged to court as soon as possible.
“Investigations would reveal how these suspects come about these new currencies. We are going to get to the root of it because the offence is punishable by a fine of N50, 000 or six months imprisonment or both.
“No good country would allow its currency to be abused in anyway. That’s what we are guiding against. The CBN is out to enforce the law and we’ll give them the necessary backings.”
An official of the CBN who refused to be named disclosed that the apex bank was targeting its workers and Deposit Money Banks (DMB), as those fuelling the illegal trade.
Besides the vendors, he said that the CBN would also clampdown on party organisers, in whose venue the naira merchants are found.
He said: “We know that these are not the real targets because if they don’t get the mint notes, they won’t be able to sell it. So, our main targets are commercial banks and even our staff who release this money to these vendors. Once these suspects confess and mention their names, we’ll go after them.
“We are also going to start arresting Nigerians who organize events and allow those selling Naira notes in their venues. Already, we have started arresting people who spray money at social events. Sanity must return to our system and our currency must be respected.”
One of the arrested suspects, Agadi, said low patronage of her hair dressing business pushed her into it.
She added that she was making N200 on each bundle of mint notes.
Oyegbile, who was arrested at Agbado area of Lagos, disclosed that N37, 500 was collected from her.
Asked how she got the notes, Oyegbile said one Abdulahi supplied it, adding that she was also getting supplies from banks.
Newsmakers’ earlier published story on the police warning went viral on the internet.
Here’s the link:http://www.newsmakersng.com/2017/02/24/spray-at-party-go-to-jail-lagos-police-warn-socialites-arrest-6-currency-traffickers/
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