A 50-year-old man, Celestine Nwoha, has been paraded by operatives of the Western Security Network, code-named Amotekun Corps, Ekiti State command
for using fake new naira notes to transact.
Nigeriacrime.com gathered that the suspect, a native of Ihiala in Ihiala local government area of Anambra State, was apprehended at Omuo-Ekiti in Ekiti East local government area of Ekiti State by men of the corps after spending large quantities of the new one thousand naira notes in a local market in the area.
The suspect who claimed to be a businessman from Lagos State said came from Lagos State and heading to Isanlu in Kogi State to buy kola nut and bitter kola when he was arrested with the fake new naira notes.
Describing himself as a victim of circumstances, the suspect said he collected the fake new naira notes from a customer in Lagos State without knowing that it was counterfeit money.
Parading the suspect at the office of the corps, located along Old Iyin road, Ado-Ekiti, the Commandant, Brigadier Joe Komolafe (rtd) said the operatives were alerted by the Point of Sale (POS) operators in the area shortly after they discovered the fake new naira notes in the area.
“The suspect went to a local area in Omuo and started spending the money before we got a hint and went after him.
“He said he specializes in buying kola and bitter Kola saying he was also paid with cash in Lagos.
“On interrogation, he confessed to the crime and said he was given two hundred and fifty thousand from a factory in Lagos but only one hundred thousand naira was found with him as he had spent some.
He explained that shortly after receiving the information, operatives of the corps swung into action and arrested the suspect with large quantities of the fake naira notes.
According to him, they were reliably informed that the suspect came into the community with about N250,000 fake one thousand new naira notes.
Komolafe said the suspect who is currently undergoing interrogations at the office of the corps, will be handed over to the police for prosecution as soon as investigations is completed on the matter.
He warned members of the public to beware of the activities of those he called unscrupulous persons who may want to use the opportunity of the scarcity of cash in the country to dupe members of the public with fake new naira notes.