The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission appeared to have resumed their onslaught against Bureau De Change operators as some of them were arrested at the popular Wuse Zone 4 market on Tuesday.
Operatives of the commission reportedly embarked on routine raids to sanitise the market of street traders and eliminate arbitrary trading.
The Punch reported that the move was resisted leading to the operatives resorting to shooting in the air.
The vehicles taken to the location by the operatives were reportedly vandalized according to witnesses.
One of the traders anonymously told the publication that the traders simply acted out of frustration as the arrests were becoming too rampant and just to extort money from them.
He said, “EFCC guys came to raid and make an arrest on Monday and they came today (Tuesday) but today’s operation was too strong.
“This is the issue we are facing. Yesterday (Monday) they arrested traders but they were attacked back today and gunshots were fired because our people tried to resist the arrest. They were provoked and frustrated. They even broke the glasses of the EFCC vehicles today and that means people are getting tired and desperate.”
Another trader warned that a continued raid by the anti-corruption body might lead to killings.
The commission had arrested over 35 suspected currency speculators for alleged foreign exchange fraud about two weeks ago.
The latest arrest of the operators is coming on the heels of a continuous slide of the naira again.
The operators said they bought the dollar at N1,400 and sold at N1,425 per dollar leaving a profit margin of N25.
Data obtained from the FMDQ exchange securities revealed that the currency depreciated to N1,416/$ from N1,354/$ recorded at the foreign exchange market on Monday.
