Suspects with recovered items. Photo credits: The Punch
Suspected members of a syndicate that produces fake naira notes have been arrested in the Ojodu Abiodun area of Lagos state.
The Punch reports that the suspects – Hope Ihesiaba and his brother, Ifeanyi – were apprehended by the Isheri police division on Saturday, May 28.
The police officers were reportedly tipped-off by a woman, who sold foodstuffs in the area, that the suspects spent fake N1,000 notes.
During the raid on the suspects’ house, the police recovered 90 pieces of fake N1,000 notes, two laptops, a sledge hammer and a cutlass.
Apart from the duo, two friends of Ifeanyi, a lady simply identified as Ijeoma, and a man identified only as Paul, were arrested by the operatives for allegedly receiving and spending some of the fake notes.
Speaking with journalists, a 33-year-old Hope denied that he was the producer of the notes. According to him, he got the fake notes from his friend in Aba, Abia state.
“I do not produce fake naira notes. I have a friend who does that. His name is Odiyi, and he sells in a market in Aba.
“I gave him N28,000 real money and he gave me the N80,000 fake naira notes. I knew the money was fake; but I did it to help myself. I gave my brother parts of the money. He in turn gave some to two of his friends. I am not married. I just needed money and I was tempted to collect the notes,” he said.
Ifeanyi said that he gave a fake N 1,000 note to a woman selling recharge cards. However, the seller realized that the note was fake, and alerted some security guards.
“My brother and I live together in an estate in Oluwakemi. On Saturday, I went to the Magodo area where I wanted to buy a recharge card from a woman. She just checked the note and raised the alarm. She started shouting on me until some security guards called the police and I was arrested.
“The policemen came and searched my brother’s house. They found all the notes there. I was given the fake notes, I don’t produce them,” he said.
When contacted, Fatai Owoseni, the Lagos state commissioner of police, said that investigation was still ongoing into the matter.
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