By Polycarp Auta
The Plateau Command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested nine suspects with fake naira notes and United States dollars.
DSC Chris Longbit, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the command who paraded the suspects on Thursday in Jos, said that they were arrested in Plateau, Nasarawa and Gombe States.
He explained that the suspects were arrested by its Commandant General Special Intelligence Squad in various locations.
Longbit also said that the fake naira notes consisted of both old and new ones, amounting to over N1.2 million.
”Our special intelligence squad arrested these suspects in Plateau, Nasarawa and Gombe States with both new and old fake naira and dollar notes.
“The naira notes amount to over N1.2 million and the other amounted 645 USD. They were arrested between Feb. 22 and March 5,” he said.
He said that the suspects were also arrested with various types of inks used in producing fake notes.
The PRO said that the corps had put serious modalities in place to ensure that the syndicate producing fake currencies in the country was cracked down.
One of the suspects, Mohammed Yakubu, said he had been involved in the illegal act since 2015, but claimed to have stopped after he was arrested in 2019.
“I joined this illegal business in 2015, but I was arrested in 2019 with fake N1 billion naira notes; I spent one month in prison and was later released.
“This time around, it was one of my friends from Kogi State that sent me a sample of the fake notes to see if it matches the real notes and in the process, I was arrested in Lafia,” he said.
The suspect, who pleaded for mercy, said that his colleagues were spread in all parts of the country and advised Nigerians to be wary of those who transact with fake notes.
The PRO also said that the command arrested two suspects who allegedly vandalised the transformer of the Jos Electricity Distribution (JED) in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau.
Longbit said that the suspects, who confessed to the crime, would be charged to court for prosecution after investigations were concluded.
(NAN)
