Osun Police set up taskforce to arrest new currency hoarders, traders

BLESSING AKOROWOSI, Osogbo

Osun State Police Command has set up a taskforce to arrest and prosecute individuals or groups engaged in the sale or abuse of the new naira notes issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The State Command stated that the intelligence unit was set up in compliance with the Federal Government’s policy and the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Usman Alkali Baba’s directives to uphold the provisions of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007 and dignify Nigeria’s currency.

This was contained in a press release by the Command’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Yemisi Opalola, on Wednesday.

The Command warned Point of Sales (POS) operators, filing stations and the general public to desist from unethical behaviours.

The statement read in part: “The Commissioner of Police has equally directed the Area Commanders, and Divisional Police Officers to carry out full enforcement of the provisions of Sections 20 and 21 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007 which criminalises amongst other things, the hawking, selling, trading, spraying, matching, falsifying or counterfeiting of bank notes, refusal to accept the Naira as a means of payment, tampering with the Naira notes issued by the CBN.

“The Police Command therefore, enjoins members of the public to cooperate with the Police to ensure violators are brought to book.”