Popular TikTok influencer Murja Ibrahim Kunya has been sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for abusing the Nigerian currency, with an option to pay a N50,000 fine.
The verdict was delivered on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, by Justice Simone Amobeda of the Federal High Court in Kano, following Kunya’s conviction for violating the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act.
The case was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which accused Kunya of spraying and stepping on Naira notes during a dance session at Tahir Guest Palace, Kano, on December 28, 2023.
The act was in breach of Section 21(1) of the CBN Act, 2007, which prohibits the defacement or abuse of the national currency.
Kunya was initially arrested in January 2025 and granted administrative bail pending her arraignment.
However, she absconded when her court date approached.
After weeks of investigation, EFCC operatives re-arrested her on March 16, 2025.
She was arraigned on May 20, 2025, where she pleaded guilty to a revised one-count charge.
The prosecutor, Musa Isah, presented the facts of the case and urged the court to convict the defendant accordingly.
In addition to the prison sentence or fine, Justice Amobeda imposed a consequential order appointing Kunya as an Ambassador for both the EFCC and the CBN.
The court mandated that she leverage her social media presence to educate her followers on the importance of respecting the Nigerian currency and the legal consequences of tampering with it.
