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Riverine areas in Akwa Ibom hit by fake Naira crisis, says NOA

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The National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Akwa Ibom State has sounded an alarm over the growing circulation of counterfeit N1,000 notes in several riverine communities within the state.

In a statement released on Friday by the agency’s spokesperson, Jackson Ibok, NOA identified the most affected areas as Udung Uko, Mbo, Oron, Okobo, and Ibeno.

These coastal communities have reportedly become hotspots for the spread of fake currency.

According to the statement, the State Director of NOA, Mkpoutom Mkpoutom, confirmed the development following credible intelligence reports.

He revealed that criminal syndicates are behind the act, targeting local markets and defrauding traders—particularly Point of Sale (POS) operators—by flooding the areas with counterfeit bills.

According to him, “they flood the local markets with fake One Thousand Naira notes with batch numbers 364232 and 898248 with blurred portrait, watermarks and irregular security features.”

Mkpoutom, describing the act as unpatriotic and heinous, said it has the potential to distort the economy.

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He appealed to the public to be vigilant and to co‑operate with security agencies, who, he said, are doing their best to bring the culprits to book.

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