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The Bankers Committee on Friday warned against bastardising the national currency, saying those who spray and hawk the naira notes at parties risk going to jail.
TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports mobile courts are to try those bastardising the national currency, and if found guilty, sent to jail.
Issuing the warning after its meeting in Lagos, the Bankers Committee said the mobile courts would be deployed nationwide to try those mishandling the currency.
Spokesman of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Isaac Okoroafor, said the Police and Ministry of Justice would be involved in the operation.
“If a celebrant is dancing and you spray him/her, you may go to jail from the party venue because the law enforcement agents will be there, waiting to arrest you.
“It is the duty of law enforcement agencies to catch offenders and take them to court. Our collaboration with the police will intensify as we move to implement the mobile court for offenders,” he stated.
Admonishing Nigerians on how to give cash gifts at parties, Okorafor said: “If you want to give, put the money in an envelope, and give it the celebrant”.
“Let’s know that anybody hawking and writing on the naira will face six months in jail or N50,000 or both,” he added.
Mrs. Handa Ambah, Managing Director of First Securities Discount House (FSDH) Merchant Bank, said people selling naira notes would be punished severely.
“We need to let them know that this is money. The fact that you cannot spray money at parties does not mean that you cannot put money in an envelope and pass it to the celebrants,” she said.