Men arrested in Zamfara for printing fake currency notes

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Zamfara State has arrested three men suspected of printing and using fake Naira and US dollar notes.

The spokesperson for the command, Ikor Oche, identified the suspects as Kamalu Sani, Uzaifa Muazu, and Suleiman Yusuf.

Their arrest followed a complaint from a commercial tricycle operator, Umar Nasir, who received a fake N1,000 note from one of the suspects.

He said, “On April 3, 2023, one Kamalu Sani aged 28, boarded a tricycle from Kasuwa at about 1pm.

“On reaching his destination, he gave the tricycle rider N1, 000 note which was discovered to be fake.

“The rider, Umar Nasir, raised the alarm which led to the arrest of the suspect, Kamalu Sani.”

According to Oche, the NSCDC traced the supplier of the fake currency notes to Kotorkoshi town, where they arrested Muazu Abdulkarim, the prime suspect, and father of Uzaifa Muazu.

Abdulkarim was said to have directed his son to open a box containing the fake currency notes for onward supplies to suspects.

“One Muazu Abdulkarim who is said to be the prime suspect directed his son, Uzaifa Muazu, who has been in the illicit business with his father for the past three years to go and open a box that contained the fake currency notes for onward supplies to suspects,” he added.

During the operation, the NSCDC recovered N60,000 and $2,600 worth of fake notes from the suspects. Sani admitted to using the fake N1,000 notes for transactions in Tsafe and Gusau for the past year. He also revealed that he was introduced to the illegal business by Ado Gurgu, who took him to Muazu Abdulkarim to supply the fake currency notes.

The NSCDC warned members of the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the security agencies, especially during the festive period. The suspects have been handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution.

Counterfeit currency is a serious crime in Nigeria, with severe penalties for those found guilty. The authorities have been stepping up efforts to curb the production and circulation of fake currency notes, but incidents of counterfeiting continue to be reported across the country.