- 13 women have been arrested by the Rivers state police command and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), for illegal sale of naira notes
- The women were arrested at Garrison, Rumuola and Rumuokwurusi areas of the state, and N2.9 million was recovered from them
- The police have said they would continue the operation of clamping down on people that illegally deal in Nigerian currency
Rivers state police command and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested 13 women allegedly dealing in illegal sale of naira notes, Punch reports.
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NAIJ.com gathered that the women were accused of selling currencies to members of the public, who would then spray them at parties
Nnamdi Omoni, the state police public relations officer, disclosed on Wednesday, December 13, that a sum of N2.9 million of various denominations were recovered from the suspects.
He said the suspects were arrested on Tuesday at Garrison, Rumuola and Rumuokwurusi areas of the state and are being interrogated by the DSS.
He stated that section 21, sub-section 1 of the Nigerian constitution had made the sale of naira notes, coins and any other legal tender an offence.
The police spokesman disclosed that the operation by the police and the DSS was carried out in conjunction with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
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He said: "On Tuesday, December 12, 2017, men of the command and the Department of the State Services, in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria, clamped down on illegal naira vendors.
“In all, a total sum of N2.9 million was recovered from the suspects. Investigation is on to ascertain the sources of the new naira notes.
“The operation shall be a continuous exercise by the relevant security agencies with a view to clamping down on persons illegally dealing in Nigeria’s legal tender.”
Omoni cautioned against the act of soiling the naira notes, writing on them and spraying them at parties.
He continued: "The naira note is one of our symbols of national identity and should be respected; or else, the long arm of the law will catch up with offenders."
Meanwhile, NAIJ.com previously reported that the Kogi state police command dismissed three of its officers for their alleged involvement in the trafficking of 30 bags of Indian hemp.
The command’s public relations officer William Aya who confirmed this in Lokoja said that the officers were handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for prosecution.
According to him, the officers were dismissed after they were found guilty by a board room trial conducted by the police.
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Source: Naija.ng
ROSY CREST
Thursday, 14 December 2017