Court Jails 12 for Abusing Naira at Delta Party

A Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State, has convicted and sentenced 12 individuals for abusing the Nigerian currency by spraying naira notes while dancing at a social event. The convictions followed their prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over offences bordering on the mutilation and abuse of the naira, contrary to the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007.

The convicted persons pleaded guilty to the charges after the EFCC presented evidence before Justice Hyeladzira Nganjiwa. The court subsequently found them guilty and handed down various jail terms. The anti-graft agency said the defendants tampered with the naira by spraying the currency during a party, an act prohibited under Nigerian law.

The EFCC reiterated that the abuse of the naira, including spraying, mutilating or defacing the currency at social events, remains a criminal offence. The commission urged Nigerians to treat the national currency with respect and warned that it would continue to prosecute anyone found violating the law.

The convictions form part of the EFCC's ongoing nationwide campaign against naira abuse, as the agency intensifies enforcement of laws protecting the integrity of the country's legal tender. Authorities have repeatedly cautioned the public that cultural practices involving the spraying of banknotes at celebrations could attract criminal prosecution.