A Federal High Court sitting in Sokoto has sentenced three men to prison for spraying and mutilating naira notes at social events, in a renewed crackdown on the abuse of Nigeria’s national currency.
The court convicted Ahmad Abdullahi Buhari, Jamilu Bello and Yasir Muhammad Bala after they pleaded guilty to charges bordering on naira mutilation, contrary to Section 21(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007
The trial judge, Justice Ahmad Mahmud, delivered the verdict on December 10, 2025, following the defendants’ admission of guilt to a five-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Court records showed that the offences occurred at different social gatherings in Sokoto, where the convicts were caught spraying naira notes while dancing.
Jamilu Bello was found to have sprayed N20,000 at a birthday celebration held at Fixon Restaurant, while Yasir Muhammad Bala sprayed N40,000 at another birthday party at Pip Zone hangout, opposite Sama Road.
After the defendants pleaded guilty, prosecution counsel Dr Aliyu Bokani Usman urged the court to impose appropriate sentences in line with the law.
Justice Mahmud sentenced Bello to one year imprisonment on each of the two counts against him, with an option of N100,000 fine per count.
Yasir Muhammad Bala was sentenced to one year imprisonment, with an option of N100,000 fine.
The third defendant, Ahmad Abdullahi Buhari, was sentenced to one year imprisonment on each count, also with an option of N100,000 fine per count.
In addition to the jail terms and fines, the court ordered all three convicts to swear affidavits of good behaviour with the EFCC, to be endorsed by their parents or guardians.
The judge further directed the convicts to carry out community sensitisation programmes in secondary schools, warning against the consequences of spraying naira notes, cybercrime and other financial offences, under the supervision of designated EFCC officers.
The EFCC said the convictions highlight its determination to protect the integrity of the naira and deter its abuse at social events.
