The Federal High Court sitting in Asaba, Delta State, has convicted and sentenced five persons to jail for the abuse of naira notes.
Justice F. A. Olubanjo delivered the judgment on Thursday, 15 October 2026. The convicts are Ekweozor Divine, Udumeluo Godwin Chukwuebuka, Kennedy Uwadia, Godstime Ogie Eghosa and Bright Barry Imade.
They were convicted on a single count charge for the offence of spraying naira notes. The offence is contrary to section 21(3) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act 2007 and is punishable under section 21(1) of the Act.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission disclosed the convictions in a statement posted on its official X account on 16 October 2026.
Under Nigerian law, spraying naira notes at social gatherings constitutes an abuse of the national currency. Section 21(3) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act 2007 expressly prohibits the practice, regardless of the occasion, the amount of money involved or the intention behind the act. A person convicted under section 21(1) of the Act faces imprisonment for a term of not less than six months, a fine of not less than 50,000 naira, or both.
The commission did not disclose the exact length of the sentences imposed on the five convicts. This case forms part of the ongoing efforts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to enforce laws protecting the integrity of the naira.
By A.Ikechukwu
- Kwankwaso Condemns ADC Campaign Attacks and Affirms No Withdrawal from Race
- Federal High Court in Abuja to Rule on 26 October on El-Rufai No Case Submission
- Retired Supreme Court Justice Amina Augie Warns That Corruption Is Turning Nigerian Courts into Market Stalls
- Court Jails Five for Naira Abuse in Asaba
- EDITORIAL: El-Rufai, Tinubu and the Ethnic Arithmetic of a Country Without Citizens
