The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has stated that it is now an offence for any Nigerian to hawk, spray and squeeze new naira notes at parties and other social functions in the country as offenders risk six months jail term.

This was stated in Lagos on Thursday at the end of the Bankers’ Committee meeting.

The CBN and the Bankers’ Committee, an umbrella of managing directors of banks and directors of the CBN, said they are currently working of establishment of mobile courts across the country to try Nigerians who are caught perpetrating these acts.

Mrs. Hamda Ambah, Managing Director, FSDH Merchant Bank, said the Committee saw the need to educate the public that financial inclusion comes with sacrifice from the public and this has to do to the handling of the naira.

Her words: “We are going to be disseminating information about the correct way to handle the naira so that they should not handle the money badly. One of the things we frowned at actually deals with is that of people who hawk and sell mint notes at parties.

“In the very near future there is going to be an introduction of mobile courts on the spot to handle such cases. They will be held and punished.” (INDEPENDENT)