The Enforcement Committee (Abuse of the Naira) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in collaboration with the FCT Police Command and Department of State Services (DSS) on Friday carried out a joint raid at Dei-Dei under bridge in Abuja.
Six persons were arrested for illegal trading and hawking of Nigeria currency contrary to Sections 20 and 21 of the CBN Act.
At a press briefing by the FCT command’s Commissioner of Police, Bala Ciroma, said the raid is part of the renewed effort of the Committee to enforce of the provisions which prescribes the offence of selling, buying, spraying and squeezing of the Naira for which, six months imprisonment or an option of N50,000 fine or both are prescribed as penalty upon conviction.
“Consequent upon the raid which recorded huge success with the recovery of the total sum of N1, 948,060 from the six suspects arrested and others at large at Dei-Dei under bridge,” he said.
“The enforcement Committee wants to reiterate its unwavering stance and readiness to sustain its raiding of identified areas where the naira is being abused.
“The suspects arrested and exhibit recovered are as follows: Auwal Yunusa ‘m’ 22 years old; Mohammed Auwal ‘m’ 20 years old; Yusuf Shuaibu ‘m’ 31 years old; Suleiman Saidu ‘m’ 38 years old; Usman Ibrahim ‘m’ 24 years old; Mohammed Salisu ‘m’ 24 years old.
“Exhibits recovered were N1,948,060 in the following denominations: N200, N50, N20, N10 and N5.
“Effort has been intensified to arrest other suspects who escaped during the raid.”
The police boss said the suspects and exhibits have been transferred to the Command’s Criminal Investigation Department and will be charged to court upon completion of investigation.
