Section 3: Importing and exporting counterfeit currency and implements

(1) Any person who, without lawful authority or excuse (the proof whereof shall lie on the person accused-
(a)
imports or receives into Nigeria any false or counterfeit bank note or current coin resembling any bank note or current coin, knowing it to be false or counterfeit; or
(b)
exports from Nigeria, or puts on board any ship, vessel, boat, aircraft or other vehicle, for the purpose of being so exported, any false or counterfeit bank note or current coin resembling any bank note or current coin, knowing it to be false or counterfeit,
is guilty of an offence under this Act and on conviction thereof shall, whether the bank note or coin is legal tender in Nigeria or any other country, be sentenced to life imprisonment.
(2)
Any person who, without lawful authority or excuse (the proof whereof shall lie on the person accused), imports into Nigeria any puncheon, counter-puncheon, matrix, stamp, dye, pattern or mould in or upon which there is made or impressed or which will make or impress, or which is adapted and intended to make or impress, the figure, stamp, or apparent resemblance of both or either of the sides of any bank note or current coin or any part of both or either of the sides of any bank note or current coin or any part of both or either of those sides or any machinery, implement, utensil or material used or intended to be used for the forgery of a bank note or for falsely making a current coin, whether or not the bank note or current coin be legal tender in Nigeria, is guilty of an offence under this Act and on conviction thereof shall be sentenced to life imprisonment.
(3) Any person who, without lawful authority or excuse (the proof whereof shall lie on the person accused) imports into Nigeria-
(a)
any edges, edging or other tool, collar, instrument or engine adapted or intended for the marking of coins round the edges with letters, grainings or other marks or figures apparently resembling those on the edges of any current coin which is legal tender in Nigeria, knowing it to be adapted or intended as aforesaid; or
(b)
any press for coinage, or any cutting engine or machine for cutting by force of a screw or any other contrivance round blanks out of any metal or mixture of metals, knowing the press to be a press for coinage or knowing the engine or machine to have been used or to be intended to be used for the false making or counterfeiting of any current coin. whether or not the current coin be legal tender in Nigeria,
is guilty of an offence under this Act and shall on conviction thereof be sentenced to life imprisonment.
(4) Any person who, without lawful authority or excuse (the proof whereof shall lie on the person accused), orally or in writing makes any enquiry of any other person, whether such last mentioned person be in Nigeria or outside Nigeria-
(a)
as to obtaining or supplying or as to the cost of obtaining or supplying any of the materials mentioned in the last two preceding subsections of this section or anything whatsoever adapted or intended to be used or which is capable of being adapted or intended to be used for the making of any bank note or current coin resembling any bank note or current coin, whether or not such bank note or current coin be legal tender in Nigeria; or
(b)
as to the making or obtaining or supplying or the importation or exportation of any counterfeit bank note or current coin, whether or not such bank note or current coin be legal tender in Nigeria,
is guilty of an offence under this Act and on conviction thereof shall be sentenced to life imprisonment.