The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has announced the arrest of a man for allegedly abusing the Nigerian currency in Gombe State, News About Nigeria reports.
The arrests, carried out by the Gombe zonal command, are part of ongoing efforts by the anti-graft agency to clamp down on the improper handling of the naira.
In a statement on Wednesday, the EFCC disclosed that Zachariyya Muhammad was apprehended on May 25 after intelligence linked him to the spraying of naira notes at G-Connect in Tunfure, Gombe.
The commission said, “Upon his arrest, he was shown a video where he was dancing and spraying N200 notes. He admitted to being the one in the video.”
The EFCC confirmed that Muhammad will be charged in court upon the conclusion of investigations.
Similarly, another woman, Janty Emmanuel, was arrested on May 20 following intelligence reports that identified her spraying naira notes at a social event.
According to Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s Head of Media & Publicity, Emmanuel was shown a video of herself dancing and spraying N1,000 notes at G-Connect in Tumfure, Gombe.
She also admitted to the act and will be prosecuted after investigations are completed.
The EFCC cited Section 21 of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act, which prohibits the abuse of the naira, including tampering, stepping on, tearing, spraying, and hawking the currency.
The Act stipulates that violators are liable to a fine of at least N50,000 or imprisonment for a minimum of six months, or both.
“For the avoidance of doubt, spraying of, dancing, or matching on the naira or any note issued by the bank during social occasions or otherwise shall constitute an abuse and defacing of the naira or such note and shall be punishable under Sub-section (1) of this section,” the EFCC stated.
