Operatives of the Ekiti State Security Network otherwise known as Amotekun corps have arrested a man identified simply as Celestine for being in possession of fake new N1000 notes amounting to about N100,000.
The corps commander, Brigadier General Joe Komolafe (retd) who made this known while parading the suspect at the corps headquarters in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday, February 21, said the suspect was arrested in Omuo-Ekiti, Ekiti East Local Government Area of the state.
According to the commander, the suspect was arrested following an alarm raised by a Point of Sale (PoS) operator in the community after discovering the fake new naira notes in his possession.
“Amotekun operatives were alerted by some Point of Sale operators on discovery of the fake new naira notes in the area. On receipt of the information, our men swung into action and arrested the suspect with large quantities of the fake naira notes,” Komolafe said.
“Our men were reliably informed that the suspect came into the community with about N250,000 fake new N1,000 notes. He is currently undergoing interrogations at our office here. He will be handed over to the police for further probe and prosecution on completion of our investigation on the matter,”
The Amotekun commander warned members of the public, “to be aware of the activities of those he called unscrupulous persons who may want to use the opportunity of the scarcity of cash in the country to dupe members of the public with fake new naira notes.”
“He said he specializes in buying kola and bitter Kola saying he was also paid with cash in Lagos,”
“The suspect went to a local area in Omuo and started spending the money before we got a hint and went after him.He said he specializes in buying kola and bitter Kola saying he was also paid with cash in Lagos,”
“On interrogation, he confessed to the crime and said he was given two hundred and fifty thousand from a factory in Lagos but only one hundred thousand naira was found with him as he had spent N150,000 in the area.”
Speaking with newsmen, the suspect who claimed to be a businessman from Lagos State said he was from heading to Isanlu in Kogi State to buy kolanut and bitter cola when he was arrested with the fake new naira notes.
The suspect claimed he collected the fake new naira notes from a customer in Lagos without knowing that it was a counterfeit money.
