At the Old IMT Bus Stop on Abakaliki Road in Enugu, police officers from the Abakaliki Road Police Division of the Enugu State Command have detained Mmaduabuchi Okonkwo of Mkpologu, Emene, Enugu, on suspicion of possessing counterfeit notes.
When the culprit was apprehended, he was allegedly dealing in counterfeit Naira notes.
40,000 allegedly fake 1,000 Naira notes were found on him, according to a statement released by the command’s spokesperson, DSP Daniel Ndukwe.
According to Ndukwe, the suspect’s initial probe showed that he had taken a minibus from New Haven Junction to the Old IMT Bus Stop in Enugu, where he delivered one of the fake bills to the driver.
But the driver looked closer and saw that the money was counterfeit, setting off an alarm that resulted in the suspect’s apprehension.
“During questioning, the suspect admitted to paying his accomplice at large N25,000 in real Naira notes in exchange for N50,000 worth of counterfeit Naira notes.
He also admitted to using N10,000 of the forged money, leaving the ₦40,000.00 that was found on him.
After investigations are finished, the suspect will be charged and put on trial. CP Kanayo Uzuegbu, the commissioner of police for the state command, has characterised the suspect’s actions as a planned act of economic sabotage intended to cause economic, psychological, and social harm to fellow citizens.
He therefore exhorts the populace to uphold the law and use caution when interacting with anyone they believe to be in possession of fake money.