ISWAP terrorists distribute old Naira notes to passengers on Borno highway

Suspected members of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) were said to be distributing huge amounts of old notes to scores of commuters in the Lake Chad Basin.

This was consequent of the fresh deadline announced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) when the old Naira notes would cease to be legal tender in Nigeria on February 10.

The incident was said to have occurred after Mairari village, on the Maiduguri/Monguno highway on Saturday in Guzamala LGA of Borno State.

The ISWAP members were said to be dressed in military camouflage and drove two gun trucks.

A resident, Bakura Ibrahim, said the insurgents positioned themselves under a tree and stood by the roadside with bags of old naira notes.

“We left Monguno about 12 noon. As we approached Mairari, there were no existing checkpoints in the area; we were apprehensive.

“They stopped us and asked if we were going to Maiduguri, then they started giving each person 100,000 old naira notes, but we could not believe it. They gave each occupant of the Golf Volkswagen,” Bakura said.

Another source added, “The group simply told us, ‘If you think you can go to their banks and change it to new naira, go and do so; may Allah make it beneficial to you’.”