By Wealth Oghenemaro
Justice Uche Agomoh of the Federal High Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, has convicted two social media influencers, Bukola Arike Rufai and Abdulateef Ayinde Jimoh, for the abuse of Nigeria’s currency, the Naira.
The duo were arraigned by the Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a single-count charge bordering on currency mutilation. According to the EFCC, the offence was committed on September 25, 2024.
The charge stated: “That you, Bukola Arike Rufai and Abdulateef Ayinde Jimoh, on or about the 25th day of September, 2024, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did trample on Naira notes issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 21 (3) of the Central Bank Act, 2007 and punishable under Section 21 (1) of the same Act.”
EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said in a statement that both defendants pleaded guilty when the charge was read to them in court. The prosecution counsel, Lanre Suleiman, presented evidence including video footage of the act and urged the court to convict and sentence them accordingly. Defence counsel, O.D. Ajadi, pleaded for leniency, noting that the accused persons were first-time offenders who had shown remorse for their actions.
In her ruling, Justice Agomoh convicted both individuals but opted not to impose a custodial sentence. Instead, each was given an option of a ₦50,000 fine.
The case arose after the defendants recorded a TikTok video where they were seen spraying and stepping on Naira notes—an act deemed unlawful under Nigerian law, especially under the provisions of the Central Bank Act.
