The Oyo State Police Command has arrested a commercial driver in possession of bundles of counterfeit naira notes during a routine stop-and-search along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The suspect, who identified himself simply as Akande, was intercepted on Friday night at the Guru Maharaj Ji area of the busy expressway. He was driving a green Toyota Sienna bus with registration number Lagos FKJ 443 YG when officers of the Federal Highway Patrol team flagged him down for a random search.
According to the Command’s Public Relations Officer, CSP Adewale Osifeso, the driver appeared visibly uneasy when approached by the operatives, prompting the officers to conduct a more thorough search of the vehicle.
The search led to the shocking discovery of bundles of fake N1,000 notes neatly concealed inside a transparent plastic parcel wrapped with heavy tape. Further inspection revealed that the counterfeit notes amounted to ₦1,000,000, all bearing only three unique serial numbers:
235923 – ₦500,000 (500 notes)
235922 – ₦300,000 (300 notes)
235921 – ₦200,000 (200 notes).
When interrogated, Akande claimed he was merely a courier. He alleged that the package was handed over to him by an unidentified man at Ojota in Lagos, with instructions to deliver it to Osogbo, Osun State. Surprisingly, he said he had been told the parcel contained body cream, and that no contact details of the supposed recipient were provided.
The police spokesman noted that investigations have commenced to trace the source and intended destination of the counterfeit notes, adding that the suspect remains in custody and will be charged to court upon conclusion of the investigation.
The Oyo State Commissioner of Police warned that the command would not relent in its fight against financial crimes, stressing that counterfeit currency poses grave risks to the economy and unsuspecting members of the public.
Leave a Reply