Police operatives in Igbo-Eze South Division of Enugu State Command have arrested one two men for allegedly holding a sum of N180,000 face value of fake N1,000 redesigned Naira notes.
The duo, Joseph Chinenye, 39, and Onyeka Kenneth Ezeja, 29, from Iheakpu-Awka in Igbo-Eze South L.G.A. and Onicha Enugu-Ezike in Igbo-Eze North L.G.A., respectively.
Joseph and Onyeka were reportedly arrested on Thursday, February 2nd.
DSP Daniel Ndukwe, spokesperson of the state police command, released a statement stating initial investigation involving examination of the Naira notes showed that they were counterfeit. Among other things, the notes, which are in three separate batches, bore the same serial numbers: A/34:282656, A/46:578759 and 8/93:852942. The suspects, however, claimed that a woman in Benin, Edo State, had given them the notes.
“They confessed to attempting to sell the notes to a POS operator, who rejected them, before the Operatives arrested them at a Filling Station in Ibagwa-Aka community of Igbo-Eze LGA, where they used the notes to purchase petrol. The duo will be arraigned in court upon consolidation and conclusion of investigation into the case by the State CID Enugu,” the statement reads.
According to Ndukwe, the state Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmed Ammani, has assured the public that the police would search diligently to find and punish anymore engaging in such economic crime.
He thus urged everyone to support the Police in this quest.He also advised to be careful about people making transactions, especially with the new Naira notes.
