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From Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
A combined team of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) have arrested four operators of Point of Sale (POS) in Makurdi, the Benue state capital.
The operators were arrested during a sting operation carried out round Makurdi town, to ensure that operators of Point of Sale, POS, carry out their businesses within the approved threshold.
The Operation which took them to various parts of the state capital, including North Bank, Wurukum, High Level, Wadata, among other areas, was also aimed at ensuring that the POS operators are not charging excessive fees to make cash available to the people.
Our correspondent reports that before now, the operators were charging one per cent of monies withdrawn but with the scarcity of new naira notes following CBN cashless policy, the operators have hiked their charges, taking as high as 10, 20 and even 30 per cent for every withdrawal in most areas.
While customers are lamenting the new charges describing it as exorbitant, CBN fears that the situation might compound the sufferings of the people and further push the naira out of circulation.
During the operation led by a Deputy Director at CBN, Harry Agbo, who represented the team lead, Dr Angela Sere-Ejembi, a Director Financial Markets, the team arrested two females and two males at North Bank area for charging 20 per cent, (N2,000 to withdraw N10,000) and above.
They were handed over to the EFCC in Makurdi for sanctions.
Speaking to newsmen, one of the operators said they were charging the said amount based on how they also got the naira notes.
“We too bought the money and we paid high to get the cash. When you go to the ATM machines, you will get only N5000, some have no cash at all. To move from one ATM to another, sometimes, I spend close to N2000 a day looking for the new notes. It is not our fault,” the operator said in tears.
