A popular Kano TikToker, Abubakar Ibrahim, and musician, Hamisu Yusuf, have been convicted and sentenced to five months’ imprisonment each by a Federal High Court in the state for abusing the Nigerian currency.
The duo were sentenced after being arraigned by the Kano Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on separate one-count charges bordering on the abuse of Naira notes, in violation of Section 21(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act, 2007.
Ibrahim was sentenced after being found guilty of spraying and stepping on ₦14,000 worth of ₦1,000 notes during a social event at Rahma Saidu’s shop in Tarauni Local Government Area of Kano State in November 2024.
The charge read, “That you, Abubakar Ibrahim, sometime in November 2024, in Rahma Saidu’s shop in Tarauni Local Government Area of Kano State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, whilst dancing, sprayed and stepped on ₦1,000 notes totalling ₦14,000 issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act, 2007.”
The charge against Yusuf stated, “That you, Hamisu Sa’id Yusuf, sometime in November 2024, at Hadejia, Jigawa State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, whilst dancing during a social occasion, tampered with the sum of ₦30,000 (Thirty Thousand Naira) in ₦200 denominations issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same at the said occasion, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act, 2007.”
During their trial on Friday, both defendants pleaded guilty to the charges levelled against them.
Following their pleas and the evidence presented by EFCC counsel Zarami Mohammed, Justice Shuaibu sentenced each to five months’ imprisonment, with an option of a ₦200,000 fine.
The case underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to enforcing laws against the abuse of Nigeria’s legal tender.
Spraying, mutilating, and other forms of currency abuse have become common at social events, prompting stricter enforcement by regulatory agencies.
The EFCC has urged the public to desist from such practices, warning that violators will face the full force of the law.
