12 arrested for selling new Naira notes to party goers
12 women have been arrested for selling new Naira notes to party goers at an event in Lagos. The women were arrested during a raid by officials of CBN and operatives of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti, Yaba.
According to Govt officials, their action contravenes section 21 of the CBN Act, 2007 and is punishable by N50,000 fine, or six months imprisonment or both.
Six women were arrested the week before and another six over the weekend. Those arrested recently include; Fausat Jimoh, Bisoye Oyegbile, Balikis Ajadi, Bisola Amoru, Abidemi Oladejo and Ajoke Suraj.
According to Guardian, Bilikis Ajadi revealed that low patronage of her hair dressing business pushed her into the money trade. Bisoye Oyegbile claimed that N37,500 was collected from her alone, though the police claimed that N35,500 was recovered from all the women combined. She claimed that the law enforcers usually stole some of their money whenever they came after them.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of SCIID, Bolaji Salami, said that selling Naira notes is an offense and efforts are being made to bring those guilty to book.
“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 later arrested six others on Friday.
“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. Investigation 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 N50,000 fine, or six months imprisonment or both.
“No good country would allow its currency to be abused in anyway. That is what we are guiding against. The CBN is out to enforce the law and we would give them the necessary backing,” Salami said. (Guardian)
