The Zamfara State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corpse have arrested three suspects for their alleged involvement in printing and spending fake naira and dollar notes.

The command’s spokesperson, Ikor Oche, identified the suspects as Kamalu Sani, Uzaifa Muazu and Suleiman Yusuf.

According to Oche, the suspects were arrested following a complaint by a commercial tricycle operator, Umar Nasir, who was given a fake N1,000 note by one of the suspects.

He said, “On April 3, 2023, one Kamalu Sani aged 28, boarded a tricycle from Kasuwa at about 1pm.

“On reaching his destination, he gave the tricycle rider N1, 000 note which was discovered to be fake.

“The rider, Umar Nasir, raised the alarm which led to the arrest of the suspect, Kamalu Sani.”

Oche explained that the operatives of the NSCDC were able to trace the supplier of the fake naira and dollar notes to Kotorkoshi town.

“One Muazu Abdulkarim who is said to be the prime suspect directed his son, Uzaifa Muazu, who has been in the illicit business with his father for the past three years to go and open a box that contained the fake currency notes for onward supplies to suspects,” he added.

According to Oche, N60,000 and $2,600 fake notes were recovered from the suspects.

One of the suspects, Sani, confessed to newsmen that he has been using fake N1,000 notes for transactions within Tsafe and Gusau for the past year.

The suspect also confessed that he was introduced to the crime by one Ado Gurgu of the Tsafe Local Government Area who took him to Muazu Abdulkarim of Kotorkoshi who used to supply the fake currency notes to them.

He added that he was doing illegal business with his friend, Suleiman Yusuf.

He explained that he used to pay N400 for every fake N1,000 note he collected from the prime suspect, Abdulkarim.