The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arrested actress Omoseyin Oluwadarasimi Esther, a.k.a Simisola Gold for allegedly offering the redesigned Naira notes for sale on social media. Spokesperson for the commission, Mrs Azuka Ogugua in a statement said that she was arrested as a result of intelligence received by ICPC’s operatives. She said the suspect allegedly seized the opportunity of the scarcity of the new naira notes to openly market the new notes. “It is believed she is in collusion with key elements in the financial services sector diverting the newly released notes away from banking halls and payment channels into a “black market,” she said. She added that the woman, a social media “serial entrepreneur” deals in skincare, sales of fuel, facilitation of foreign travels through visa acquisitions, and other businesses.
According to her, the suspect is currently in ICPC detention and is helping the anti graft agency with its findings on the criminal trading of the naira and the attendant scarcity and negative economic outcomes being caused by the action. She further explained that the arrest was in furtherance of the collaboration between CBN, ICPC and EFCC in implementing the new cashless policy and Naira redesign. “In line with this resolve, the Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, has directed deposit money banks (DMBs) to commence the payment of the redesigned Naira notes over the counter, subject to a maximum daily payout limit of N20,000.”
