Mr David Bille, NSCDC Commandant, Anambra State Command told journalists on Friday in Awka that the arrest was aimed at forestalling illicit sale of the country’s currency notes.
He said, “The clampdown on the naira vendors and sellers is hinged on the CBN’s Act, Sections 20 and 21 that makes it a punishable offense for any individual or group of people to hawk, sell or otherwise trade in the naira notes, coins or any note issued by the CBN”.
The NSCDC official explained that the female suspect, aged 20years was arrested by his personnel with various denominations of naira around Dike Motor Park, Awka on Friday September 27.
“A total sum of N398,500.00 consisting of various denominations were recovered from the suspect where she displayed the money waiting for customers.
“We have commenced full Investigations into the matter to ascertain the source of the naira notes and once we are through, the suspect will be charged to court”, he said.
Bille added that NSCDC and the CBN would continue the clampdown on the perpetrators of this offence, which according to him was punishable under the CBN Act 2007 and carried not less than six months jail term or fine of not less than N50,000 or both.
”Acts of spraying the naira notes at occasions, soiling and writing on the naira, squeezing the naira, as well as hawking and selling of the country’s currency notes, are abuses of the naira and are punishable by law”, he said.
He used the opportunity to appeal to the general public to desist from abuse of the naira, noting that our currency was one of the symbols of our national identity.
