The Zamfara State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, has arrested three persons in connection with fake currency worth N2 million.
Parading the suspects, the Command’s Public Relations Offer, Mr. Ikor Uche, said the Corps arrested the suspects for being involved in printing, minting and circulating fake Naira and U.S Dollar notes to the public.
Uche said Kamallu Sani, 28, Sulieman Yusuf, 29 and Uzaifa Muazu all of Tsafe Local Government Area, were arrested in Gusau on April 3 while trying to pay for transport fare to a Keke Napep rider with a fake N1000 note.
The Napep operator was able to identify the currency to be fake and raised an alarm, which led to the arrest of the culprits.
According to the command, investigations revealed that Kamallu Sani has been indulging in the business for one year.
He confessed to have been introduced to the illicit act by one Ado Gurgu of Tsafe Local Government Area who took him to one Muazu Abdulkarim of Kwartarkwarshi village.
Uche said Kamallu admitted that Muazu Abdulkarim was the person who supplied the fake currency note and that each N1000 fake note was exchanged for N400 only.
The operatives of the Corps traced the supplier to Kwartarkwarshi village where the prime suspect, Muazu Abdulkarim who is at large, directed his son Uzaifa Muazu, who had been in the illicit trade with the father, to open a box that contained fake currencies both in Naira and Dollars for supplies to the suspects.
The sum of N60,000 fake currency was found alongside $2,600 of fake notes, totalling N1.92 million found in the box.
He, however, said that N17,000 of the fake currency was recovered from Kamallu Sani during his arrest.
He confirmed that Uzaifa Muazu, who was a son to the prime suspect, Muazu Abdulkarim, confessed that his father had been in the illicit act for more than three years.
He added that he got the fake monies from Kano in company of One Ado Gurgu.
Uche said the Commandant, Muhammad Muazu, however, advised the general public to be wary of the mischievous set of people.
He said that the Corps had beamed its searchlight on the mischief makers and would clamp down on them heavily.
He added that the Corps would hand over the suspects to the appropriate authorities for prosecution