The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba, has ordered the arrest and subsequent prosecution of all individuals engaged in the sale or abuse of the naira notes.

The IGP ordered the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigations Department and the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Intelligence Bureau to place officers of the Department and the Bureau across the country to effect the arrest and prosecution.

This was contained in a statement issued on Friday by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi.

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Baba also charged all supervisory Assistant Inspectors-General of Police and Commissioners of Police in charge of Police Commands and Formations to carry out full enforcement of the provisions of “Sections 20 and 21 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007 which criminalises amongst other things the hawking, selling or otherwise trading, spraying of, dancing or matching on the naira notes, falsifying or counterfeiting of bank notes, refusal to accept the naira as a means of payment, tampering with the coin or note issued by the CBN.”

The IGP reiterated the mandate of the Nigeria Police Force to enforce all laws and regulations without any prejudice to the enabling Acts of other security agencies and urged Nigerians to cooperate with the NPF “as it brings the long arm of the law to bear upon all violators of the provisions of the CBN Act, and other extant statutes in Nigeria, with a view to having a well-policed society in all ramifications within the country.”

The Star