Naira Scarcity: Osun Police warn POS operators, Filling Stations against sale of currency

By Ismail Azeez, Osogbo

Osun Police Command has warned  Point of Sales (POS) operators and Filling Stations against the sale or abuse of the Naira notes issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The Command’s Spokesperson, SP Yemisi Opalola, in a statement signed on Wednesday, said the Commissioner of Police ordered the Area Commanders, and Divisional Police Officers to carry out full enforcement of the provisions of Sections 20 and 21 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007 which criminalises the hawking, selling, trading, spraying.

Others are; matching, falsifying or counterfeiting of bank notes, refusal to accept the naira as a means of payment, tampering with the naira notes issued by the CBN.

The CP said the Osun Police Command has emplaced an Intelligence unit to arrest and subsequently prosecution of individuals or groups who engaged in the illegal practice.

According to the statement, “In compliance with the  Federal Government’s policy and the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, psc(+), NPM, NEAPS, fdc, CFR, directives to uphold the provisions of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007 and dignify Nigeria’s currency, the Osun Police Command is using this medium to warn members of the public who are into this unethical behaviour, especially Point of Sales (POS) operators and Filling Stations to jettison such, as the police Command has emplaced an Intelligence unit of the Command to arrest and subsequently prosecute such individuals or groups engaged in the sale or abuse of the naira notes issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“The Commissioner of Police has equally directed the Area Commanders, and Divisional Police Officers to carry out full enforcement of the provisions of Sections 20 and 21 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007 which criminalizes amongst other things, the hawking, selling, trading, spraying, matching, falsifying or counterfeiting of bank notes, refusal to accept the naira as a means of payment, tampering with the naira notes issued by   CBN.

“The Police Command  therefore, enjoins members of the public to cooperate with the Police to ensure violators are brought to book.”