Suspected members of the Islamic State of West Africa Province, ISWAP, have reportedly distributed huge amounts of old naira notes to scores of travelers along the Lake Chad Basin.
According to a Daily Trust report, the incident occurred after Mairari village, along the Maiduguri/Monguno highway on Saturday in Guzamala LGA of Borno State.
A source in Maiduguri told the newspaper that the ISWAP members were 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 at 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,” Mr 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.”
