Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti
Operatives of the Western Security Network, otherwise known as Amotekun Corps, Ekiti State Command, have paraded a middle-aged man for alleged possession of fake new Naira notes.
The suspect’s name was given as Mr. Celestine Nwoha, a native of Ihiala in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State.
He was apprehended at Omuo-Ekiti in Ekiti East Local Government Area of Ekiti State by men of the corps after spending large quantities of the new N1,000 notes in a local market in the area.
The suspect, who claimed to be a business man from Lagos State, said that on the fateful day, he was from Lagos State and heading to Isanlu in Kogi State to buy cola nuts and bitter cola when he was arrested with fake new Naira notes.
Describing himself as victim of circumstances, the suspect said he collected the fake new naira notes from a customer in Lagos State without knowing that it was counterfeited money.
Parading the suspect at the office of the corps, located along Old Iyin Road, Ado-Ekiti, the Commandant of the Corps, Brigadier Joe Komolafe (rtd) said the operatives of the corps was alerted by the Point of Sale (POS) operators in the area shortly after they discovered the fake new naira notes in the area.
He explained that shortly after receiving the information, operatives of the corps swung into action and arrested the suspect with large quantities of the fake naira notes.
He said that the corps was reliably informed that the suspect came into the community with about N250,000 fake N1,000 notes.
Komolafe said the suspect who is currently undergoing interrogations at the office of the corps, and would be handed over to the police for prosecution as soon as investigations is completed on the matter.
He warned members of the public to beware of the activities of those he called unscrupulous persons who may want to use the opportunity of the scarcity of cash in the country and duped members of the public with fake new naira notes.
