Three people have been detained by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps’ Zamfara State Command in connection with N2 million worth of counterfeit money.
The suspects were detained, according to the Command’s people Relations Officer, Mr. Ikor Uche, for their involvement in the printing, minting, and distribution of false Naira and US Dollar notes to the general people.
According to Uche, Kamallu Sani, 28, Sulieman Yusuf, 29, and Uzaifa Muazu, all residents of the Tsafe Local Government Area, were detained in Gusau on April 3 when they attempted to pay a Keke Napep rider’s transportation fare with a bogus N1000 note.
The Napep operator was able to identify the currency to be fake and raised alarm, which led to the arrest of the culprits.
According to the command, investigations revealed that Kamallu Sani has been indulged 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 along side with $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 farther 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 search light 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. (NAN)