The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Usman Baba has ordered the nationwide arrest and prosecution of Nigerians caught selling the country’s currency.

The order to arrest and prosecute was issued to 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.

In a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on February 3, the IGP asked that officers be placed across the nation on high alert to carry out the arrest.

Mr Baba said that the move to arrest sellers of the naira across the country was “In furtherance of the Federal Government’s policy and drive to uphold the provisions of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007, and dignify Nigeria’s currency”.

The IGP similarly “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 CBN Act, 2007

The sections criminalise 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 police to “enforce all laws and regulations without any prejudice to the enabling Acts of other security agencies”.

Mr Baba called for cooperation with the police “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.”