By Ade Oyeyemi
A Federal High Court sitting in Asaba, Delta State, has sentenced five men to prison for offences relating to the abuse of naira notes through spraying.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission disclosed this in a statement published on its official X account on Friday.
According to the commission, Justice F. A. Olubanjo convicted the defendants on Thursday, October 15, 2026, after they were found guilty of a one-count charge bordering on the unlawful spraying of naira notes.
The convicts were identified as Ekweozor Divine, Udumeluo Godwin Chukwuebuka, Kennedy Uwadia, Godstime Ogie Eghosa and Bright Barry Imade.
The EFCC said the offence contravened Section 21(3) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007, and is punishable under Section 21(1) of the same law.
However, the commission did not disclose the specific jail terms imposed on the five men in the statement.
Spraying naira notes at social gatherings, including weddings, birthday celebrations and burial ceremonies, is prohibited under Nigerian law.
The law criminalises the practice regardless of the occasion, the amount of money involved or the intention behind the act.
The conviction underscores the enforcement of existing regulations against the abuse of the national currency, as authorities continue to warn members of the public against mishandling naira notes.
