The Nigerian Police Force has detained an officer involved in a viral video where he was seen holding bundles of money for the sons of Lagos businessman, Chief Okoya, to spray at an event.
The footage, which sparked outrage on social media, showed the officers allegedly partaking in the misuse of the naira, amid growing concerns about the sanctity of the national currency.
Meanwhile, the video, shared widely by the Okoya sons, depicted large amounts of cash being sprayed during an event, a practice seen as a form of disrespect to the national currency.
It quickly garnered public attention, leading to widespread condemnation of the act as an abuse of the naira.
Reacting to the video, the Nigerian Police Force swiftly took action, identifying the officer involved.
In a post made on Facebook by the Nigerian Police Force on Friday, January 10, the police emphasized that the officer’s behaviour was “unethical” and against the core values upheld by the force.
The Police, while addressing the issue, stated,
“The involvement of the policeman in this incident has been condemned. It is unethical, and we will always strive hard to uphold the sanctity, credibility, and core values of the police.”
The officer, whose identity has not been disclosed, has been detained for further disciplinary action.
The police also reassured the public that such misconduct would not be tolerated and that they are committed to ensuring that officers remain true to their duty and responsibilities.
Nigerians react
Reacting to this development, some Nigerians took to their social media Facebook page to register their opinion about the matter.
Specifically, Ndubuisi Okorie said:
“Police men do this on a daily basis,but don’t blame them sha because how much are they being paid. As you arrest the police man,also arrest the offender.”
“Dear Nigeria Police Force, please what exactly do you want the innocent police man that was probably sent there by his Ogah in the office to do. Tell the rich wealthy lads spraying their money to stop or arrest them?
“Please be fair in your dealings with your personnel. Some of them are very powerless in the hands of rich Nigerians.
“It would have been a great news to hear that u arrested the persons spraying the money and not the police man. He is not the owner of the money.”
Arthur Uneze said:
“In Nigeria, the poor get judgement while the rich get justice 😢”
Legit.ng reported this incident comes amid ongoing efforts to curb the devaluation and abuse of the naira, particularly in public spaces.
Experts and activists have called for stronger enforcement of laws against the spraying and misuse of currency, particularly as Nigeria struggles with economic challenges.
As for the Okoya family, no official statement has been made regarding their involvement or response to the video, though their social media posts suggest they have distanced themselves from the act.
See the video here:
CBN warns against abuse of new naira notes
Previously, Legit.ng reported that the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN has warned Nigerians against the abuse of the Naira as commercial bigs issuing of new notes, Thursday, December 15, 2022.
Ngozi Etim, Principal Manager of the Currency Operations Department at the CBN, gave the warning in Abuja.