Security Operatives in Cross River are clamping down on Point of Sales (PoS) agents, suspected to be buying money in Calabar. The Guardian gathered that the operatives are from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC), Department of State Services (DSS) among others. They have been going round Calabar, arresting and forcing PoS operators to disclose the source of the cash used in their business.
A visit to parts of the city, showed some POS agents have deserted their stands for fear of being arrested. It was alleged that some PoS agents have been buying cash from banks, and they charge their customers exorbitantly.
An eyewitness said the operatives stormed a community market in Calabar Municipal Council, Ikot Ishie, and arrested about 12 PoS agents.
“They have arrested about 12 PoS attendants in Ikot Ishie; if they come to you, they will ask you to disclose the source of your cash and how much you are charging your customer and also ask you to take them to the person that gave you the money.
“Some PoS attendants, who got the information before hand, abandoned their stands.” Another eyewitness, a neighbour to one of the POS agents arrested, said: “She was just here attending to customers when three men came and asked her where she was getting her money from, they asked her to take them to the person. But it is sad that it happened. This girl has been helping us anytime our customers want to buy something; they withdraw money from her to pay us. Instead of making cash available, they are arresting agents.”
Some agents, who spoke on condition of anonymity, accused government of handling the effects of the problem rather than handling the cause of the problem.
One of the agents said: “That is the Nigeria we find ourselves; instead of handling the cause of the problem, they choose to handle the effects of the problem. Why are they going after us when all we do is to reduce the stress of Nigerians.”
Another said: “Let them come, I’m waiting for them because I know I’m not doing anything wrong. I got my money from my sister, who supplies fish to market women and men.”
An inside source from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) told The Guardian the exercise was to identify and stop PoS agents from buying cash and charging their customers exorbitantly.
