3 nabbed in Kwara over fake currencies
A 51-year-old man and two others have been arrested in Ilorin, Kwara State, over alleged involvement in the circulation of counterfeit foreign currencies. The suspects, identified as Akilu Salisu from Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State, Umar Mikailu Shuaibu from Kafor Wambari area of Kano State, and Salisu Nura from Garki Local Government Area […]
A 51-year-old man and two others have been arrested in Ilorin, Kwara State, over alleged involvement in the circulation of counterfeit foreign currencies.
The suspects, identified as Akilu Salisu from Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State, Umar Mikailu Shuaibu from Kafor Wambari area of Kano State, and Salisu Nura from Garki Local Government Area of Jigawa State, are currently in the custody of the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Salisu, a father of 10, and Shuaibu, who described himself as a cleric, were linked to the alleged crime alongside Nura following investigations by the anti-graft agency.
According to the EFCC, Nura and Shuaibu were initially arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Kwara State Command, during a stop-and-search operation on January 27, 2026, before being handed over to the commission for further investigation.
“During the operation, Nura was found in possession of 435 pieces of counterfeit 100-dollar notes and 378 pieces of counterfeit 50-pound notes,” the EFCC said in a statement on Thursday.
The commission added that preliminary investigations revealed that the counterfeit currencies were meant to be delivered to Shuaibu, while Salisu was identified as the final recipient in the distribution chain.
It further disclosed that checks on Shuaibu’s account with a digital payment platform uncovered multiple suspicious transactions exceeding N5 million, for which he could not provide satisfactory explanations.
The EFCC said the suspects would be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of ongoing investigations.