Naira Abuse: Police May Go After POS Operators, Others

Point of service (POS) operators and other persons indicted of abuse of the naira, may now be at the risk of police arrest and prosecution.

This coming amidst widespread difficulty by Nigerians accessing the Naira for their day to day expenses, in the now extended currency redesign programme of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)

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The Eagle can report that POS operators particularly have been profiteering with the attendant currency charging as much as N1, 500 commission on N10, 000 withdrawals.

Latest report is that the police may start going after those indicted of naira abuse with the Osun State command already constituting a task force to the effect.

It however said it set up the task force to to arrest and prosecute those in the habit of abusing the Naira notes.

In a statement by Command’s spokesman. SP Yemisi Opalola,  the police explained that the move is in compliance with a directive of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), instructing his men to uphold the provisions of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Act on Nigeria’s currency.

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“In compliance with the Federal Government’s policy and the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, directives to uphold the provisions of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007 and dignify Nigeria’s currency, the Osun Police Command is using this medium to warn members of the public to stop the unethical behaviour of selling or abusing the Naira notes.

“The Point of Sales (POS) operators and Filling Stations are specifically warned to jettison such acts, as the police Command has emplaced an Intelligence unit to arrest and prosecute individuals or groups engaged in the sale or abuse of the Naira notes.” she said

Opalola said the Osun Commissioner of Police, Kehinde Longe, has equally directed the Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers to carry out full enforcement of the provisions of Sections 20 and 21 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007.

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According to her, sections of the CBN Act under reference, criminalises among others, hawking, selling, trading, spraying, matching, falsifying or counterfeiting of bank notes, refusal to accept the Naira as a means of payment and tampering with the Naira notes.

The Eagle also recalls that late last month, the Department of State Services (DSS) had arrested some members of an organised syndicate for naira abuse.

They were allegedly nabbed selling the new naira notes in parts of the country.

A statement it issued to the effect signed by the Public Relations Officer of the DSS, Dr. Peter Afunanya, added that some commercial bank officials were aiding and abetting the act, and warning that the secret police will go after them.