The Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Baba, has ordered the arrest and prosecution of individuals engaged in the sale or abuse of the new naira notes issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, disclosed this in a press statememt, Friday in Abuja.
“In furtherance of the Federal Government’s policy and drives to uphold the provisions of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007, and dignify Nigeria’s currency, IGP Usman Baba has ordered the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) in charge of the Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID) and the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of the Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB) to place officers and men of the department and the bureau across the nation on high alert and to carry out the arrest and subsequent prosecution of all individuals engaged in the sale or abuse of the naira notes issued by the CBN.
“The IGP has similarly charged all supervisory AIG and Commissioners of Police (CP) in charge of Police Commands and Formations to carry out full enforcement of the provisions of Sections 20 and 21 of the CBN Act, 2007 which criminalises amongst other things the hawking, selling or otherwise trading, spraying of, dancing or matching on the naira notes, falsifying or counterfeiting of bank notes, refusal to accept the naira as a means of payment, tampering with the coin or note issued by the CBN.
“The IGP reiterated the mandate of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to enforce all laws and regulations without any prejudice to the enabling Acts of other security agencies and urged all and sundry to cooperate with the NPF as it brings the long arm of the law to bear upon all violators of the provisions of the CBN Act, and other extant statutes in Nigeria, with a view to having a well-policed society in all ramifications within the country,” the statement read.
