A Federal High Court sitting in Sokoto has convicted and sentenced three men for spraying naira notes at social events, in a renewed crackdown on currency mutilation.
The defendants — Ahmad Abdullahi Buhari, Jamilu Bello and Yasir Muhammad Bala — were found guilty of offences bordering on naira mutilation, contrary to Section 21(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007.
They were convicted on December 10, 2025, after pleading guilty to a five-count charge filed against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Delivering judgment, Justice Ahmad Mahmud sentenced Bello to one year imprisonment on each of the two counts against him, with an option of a ₦100,000 fine on each count.
Bala was sentenced to one year imprisonment with an option of a ₦100,000 fine, while Buhari also received a one-year jail term on each count, with an option of a ₦100,000 fine per count.
The offences were committed at separate social events in Sokoto metropolis.
According to the charge, Bello tampered with ₦20,000 by spraying the notes while dancing at a birthday party held on July 7, 2025, at Fixon Restaurant, Sokoto.
In another count, Bala was accused of spraying ₦40,000 while dancing at a birthday party on November 8, 2025, at Pip Zone Hangout, opposite Sama Road, Sokoto.
The prosecution counsel, Dr Aliyu Bokani Usman, told the court that the defendants freely admitted committing the offences and urged the judge to convict and sentence them accordingly.
Beyond the jail terms and fines, Justice Mahmud ordered the convicts to depose to affidavits of good behaviour with the EFCC, to be co-signed by their parents or guardians.
The court further directed that the convicts should undertake community sensitisation in selected secondary schools within their communities, focusing on the dangers of cybercrime and other fraudulent practices.
The exercise, the judge ruled, must be supervised by designated EFCC officers.
The convictions underscore the Federal Government’s resolve to enforce laws against naira abuse, particularly the practice of spraying currency notes at social gatherings, which the CBN and law enforcement agencies have repeatedly warned against.
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