The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) vowed to keep apprehending and prosecuting those responsible for the creation and distribution of counterfeit notes with new designs.
In Abuja on Sunday, Commandant-General of the corps Ahmed Audi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that there had been an alarming increase in the number of fake Naira notes being circulated.
He issued a strong warning to those responsible and vowed that the corps would not back down from its pursuit of those responsible for economic sabotage of the nation.
He claimed that in less than a month, the corps had apprehended and seized millions of dollars’ worth of fake Naira notes from members of syndicates in various states across the nation.
The C-G said that while interrogating most of the arrested suspects, it was deduced that the fraudsters took advantage of the low circulation of the redesigned Naira notes to massively produce counterfeit notes.
“Many innocent Nigerians must have fallen victim to their scheme while they collected bank money transfers and exchange of foreign currencies.
“The arrest of these syndicates will help us fish out more criminals who have decided to take advantage of the economic situation in the country to scam people,” he said.
Audi, therefore, advised citizens to avoid being victims of fraudsters by ensuring they transact with banks, most especially when large sums were involved.