It was a naira rain in the Lake Chad Basin as suspected members of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) distributed naira at scores of commuters.
The gesture may not be unconnected to the deadline of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) for the Naira swap.
The incident according to Daily Trust occurred along Maiduguri/Monguno highway on Saturday, January 28, in Guzamala LGA of Borno State.
The ISWAP members were said to have dressed in military camouflage and drove two gun trucks.
A resident, Bakura Ibrahim, said the insurgents positioned themselves under a tree and stood by the roadside with bags of old naira notes.
He said: “We left Monguno at about 12 noon. As we approached Mairari, there were no existing checkpoints in the area; we were apprehensive.
“They stopped us and asked if we were going to Maiduguri, then they started giving each person 100,000 old naira notes, but we could not believe it. They gave each occupant of the Golf Volkswagen.”
Another witness said;
“The group simply told us, “If you think you can go to their banks and change it to new naira, go and do so; may Allah make it beneficial to you.”
