Nasarawa Police Arrest 62‑Year‑Old for Fake ₦1,000 Notes at Cattle Market

TL;DR: Nasarawa police arrested 62‑year‑old Mamuda Hassan for allegedly trading counterfeit ₦1,000 notes at Lafia cattle market. The commissioner warned the public to look for poor print, small size, duplicate serial numbers and missing security features on cash.

Nasarawa state police said they acted on credible intelligence and apprehended Hassan while he was exchanging the fake notes for livestock at the Lafia market. During questioning he said the counterfeit bills were supplied by an associate living in Mararaba Akunza, Lafia, and that efforts are underway to locate that individual.

The police commissioner, Shetima Jauro Mohammed, urged traders, fuel station attendants, POS operators and others to examine cash for tell‑tale signs: blurred printing, smaller dimensions, repeated serial numbers and absent security threads or watermarks. He asked anyone spotting suspicious notes to report them to the nearest police station.

Counterfeit detection relies on features embedded in genuine notes. The Central Bank of Nigeria prints the ₦1,000 note with a watermark of the coat of arms, a security thread that glows under UV light, and color‑shifting ink that changes hue when tilted. Counterfeits often lack these elements, making them feel thinner or look duller.

Market data shows the Nigerian Naira trading at roughly 460 per US dollar, down 0.8% intraday, while the NGX All‑Share Index gained 0.3% to 52,100 points, giving the exchange a market capitalization of about ₦22 trillion. These figures illustrate that currency stress can coexist with equity gains, highlighting the need for vigilance in cash‑heavy sectors like livestock trade.

The arrest underscores how informal markets remain vulnerable to fake money, which can erode trust and increase transaction costs. Traders may start demanding electronic payments or rely more on point‑of‑sale devices to avoid accepting suspect notes.

What to watch next: police progress on apprehending the alleged accomplice, any rise in counterfeit reports from other markets, and whether the Central Bank issues additional public alerts or upgrades note security features.