Nigeria moves to curb abuse of currencies

The Nigerian government will embark on nationwide sensitization campaign to curb the abuse of Nigeria's currencies, an official said Saturday.

Abubakar Danchadi, a director with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) told reporters in northwest state of Sokoto that the organization is partnering with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to carry out the campaign.

He said the nation's currencies are grossly abused in a myriad of obnoxious ways.

"These include mutilating them and spraying them during ceremonies, thereby marching on them," the director added.

"These also include putting them in parts of the body where they are not supposed to be kept," he said.

Danchadi told reporters that the currencies should be patriotically respected by both Nigerians and non-Nigerians alike.

"The nation's currencies are part of our national symbols," he added.

He said the joint campaign by NOA and the apex bank was therefore to urgently reverse the ugly trend.

The apex bank had warned that abusers of the nation's currency notes risk six months imprisonment or a fine of 50,000 (158 U.S. dollars).

The bank described as criminal the abuse of the country's currency, stressing that offenders would be arrested and prosecuted.

Spraying of the naira, hawking and mutilating it are punishable under section 21, subsection 1-5 of the CBN Act of 2007. Endit