Men of the Zamfara State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps have arrested three suspects for allegedly printing and distributing counterfeit naira and dollar notes. The command’s spokesperson, Ikor Oche, identified the suspects as Kamalu Sani, Uzaifa Muazu and Suleiman Yusuf.
The arrests followed a complaint by commercial tricycle operator Umar Nasir, who received a fake N1,000 note from one of the suspects. Oche recounted that on 3 April 2023, 28‑year‑old Kamalu Sani boarded a tricycle in Kasuwa at about 1 p.m., paid the rider N1,000, and the note was later discovered to be counterfeit. Nasir raised the alarm, leading to Sani’s apprehension.
Further investigation traced the source of the fake currency to Kotorkoshi town. According to Oche, Muazu Abdulkarim, described as the prime suspect, instructed his son, Uzaifa Muazu—who has been involved in the illicit trade with his father for three years—to open a box containing the counterfeit notes for distribution to other suspects. In total, N60,000 and $2,600 worth of fake notes were recovered from the three arrested individuals.
During questioning, Sani confessed to journalists that he had been using counterfeit N1,000 notes for transactions in Tsafe and Gusau for the past year. He admitted that he was introduced to the crime by Ado Gurgu of the Tsafe Local Government Area, who took him to Muazu Abdulkarim of Kotorkoshi, the supplier of the fake notes. Sani also acknowledged collaborating with his friend Suleiman Yusuf and said he paid N400 for each counterfeit N1,000 note he obtained from Abdulkarim.
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