Tina Ezin, Calabar

Security agents in Cross River are clamping down on POS agents who are suspected to be buying money in Calabar.

It was gathered that security agents from Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC), Department of State Services (DSS) and others have been going round the city of Calabar to arrest and force POS agents to tell where they got the cash they are using to transact business.

A visit to some parts of the city showed that some POS agents were not at their stands for fear of being arrested.

It was alleged that some POS agents have been buying cash from banks and money lenders because of that, they charge their customers exorbitantly.

An eyewitness account said that the security operatives stormed a community market at Ikot Ishie in Calabar Municipality and arrested about 12 POS agents.

The agent who pleaded anonymity said, “they have arrested about 12 POS attendants in Ikot Ishie, when they come to you, they will ask you where you are getting your cash from 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 ran and left their stands.”

Another eyewitness, a neighbour to one of the POS agents that was arrested said, ” she was just here attending to her customers when three men came and asked her where she is getting her money, they asked her to take them to the person. But it is sad that this is happening, this girl has been helping us anytime our customers want to buy something, they withdraw money from her to pay us. Instead of them to make cash available, they are arresting agents”

In an interview with some POS agents, they accused the government of handling the effects of the problem rather than handling the cause of the problem.

Another POS agents who pleaded anonymity 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 reduce the stress of Nigerians.

“Let them come, I am waiting for them because I know I am not doing anything wrong. I got my money from my sister who supplies ice fish to market women and men.”

An inside source from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) stated that the exercise was to identify and stop POS agents from buying cash and charging their customers exorbitantly.

Efforts to get the EFCC, ICPC and DSS to comment on the matter proved abortive.