'Police aiding Abuja fake currency kingpin suspect’
From Lambert Tyem, Abuja

Monday, June 22, 2009
It was meant to be the crowning glory of the Police in the Federal Capital Territory(FCT). But twenty-four hours after arresting Onyeka Okonkwo and his gang for faking foreign and local currencies, the Police is now at the receiving end.

Mike Okiro, IGP


http://odili.net/news/source/2009/jun/22/509.html

They had hardly savoured the victory when Onyeka raised his voice against some officers at the headquarters of the FCT Command. Onyeka is accusing the officers of aiding and abetting a chief, he says, is the “kingpin and trainer” of members of the syndicate.

It came like a bolt from the blues. As soon as Onyeka sighted the chief(names with held), who had come to negotiate their bail, the cell where he was kept along with others became a spectacle. He began his protest by casting a slurry on the image of the Police for what he said was a deliberate attempt to shield the alleged kingpin from their shady deal.

He said despite their confessional statements linking the chief with their faking business, the Police had refused to act.

Okonkwo was arrested along with eight other suspects, including two women, for engaging in the production and circulation of fake foreign and local currencies. The Police listed their names as Anthony Sunday, said to be a former aide of the Chief, Ifeoma Ani, Victor Adendon, Ikechukwu Chukwu, Kenneth Uzoma, John Akpem, Esther Akpem and Samuel Emmanuel. They all admitted that they committed the crime.

Items recovered from them included dollars reasonably suspected to be counterfeit currency, two wraps of weeds, reasonably suspected to be Indian Hemp, some pieces of papers cut into sizes of currencies, two vehicles with registration number RE 203 KJA Toyota Corolla; XF 520 RSH ToyotaCricks; Vehicle No. BU 288 GGE( Lagos ). They were arrested at Kado Village and Efab Housing Estate, Life Camp, Abuja .

Okonkwo told Daily Sun that his syndicate had been long in the business of faking Nigerian and foreign currencies which they circulate, but lamented that the police were vindictive in their action. He alleged that one Chief was “leader and chief trainer” of producers of fake Nigerian and foreign currencies in Abuja before the organization broke into many camps.

According to him, in spite of the fact that the said Chief is renowned and well known among most police officers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command for his illicit trade, the police had refused to arrest him. “Even when we informed them of his activities, the Police still refused to arrest him to respond to the allegation,” he said.

“He even showed up yesterday to negotiate our bail. Some of the police were hailing the Chief, addressing him by his nickname, AU.”

Another suspect, Emeka, who was interrupted by the police while speaking to Daily Sun pointed at one of his key members who served the Chief for six years as personal aide and said: “Police don’t want to arrest Chief Dominic because he dines and wines with key officers of the Police Command and even at the Force Headquarters.”

But the FCT Police spokesman, DSP Jimoh Moshood described the allegation as a bunch of lies calculated to tarnish the image of the Police, saying he was not aware of the allegation against the Chief. He, however, promised to bring it to the notice of the Commissioner of Police Mr. Haruna John.

“What happened was that one of the suspects went to buy recharge card with fake currency and the seller noticed the money was a fake one . He gave it back to him; but because it was not the first time the man was presenting fake currency to him, he alerted the Police. Upon investigations, we discovered these men have been behind the printing of fake currencies.

“They even rented an office in Lagos House for that purpose. That is where they use. We went there and we recovered their printing machine. The suspects roamed into the website of the Nigerian Security Printng and Minting Company. They, thereafter, connected their machine to the site ; but because they didn’t have the mint papers, they resorted to ordinary papers which produced fake currencies.” a Senior Police Officer told Daily Sun.

The FCT Police spokesman, however, said the suspects would be prosecuted for belonging to a syndicate of 419 and being in possession of dollars reasonably suspected to be counterfeit currency to the tune of $5600 USD.

Can't say i'm suprised. . .

Fake naira full everywhere for Lagos.

men in black