The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kano Zonal Command, on Wednesday, secured the conviction and sentencing of popular TikTok influencer, Murja Ibrahim Kunya, for abusing the Nigerian currency.
The ruling was delivered by Justice Simone Amobeda of the Federal High Court sitting in Kano State.
Kunya was initially arrested in January 2025 after a video went viral showing her spraying and stepping on naira notes while dancing inside a hotel room at Tahir Guest Palace, Kano. Her actions were flagged as a violation of Section 21(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act, 2007, which prohibits tampering with, abusing, or mutilating the national currency.
After her first arrest, the EFCC granted her administrative bail pending her arraignment. However, she failed to appear in court when summoned, choosing instead to abscond in an attempt to evade justice.
Following weeks of surveillance and investigation, EFCC operatives rearrested the influencer on Sunday, March 16, 2025. She was arraigned before the Federal High Court on May 20, 2025, and pleaded guilty to the amended one-count charge.
The charge read in court stated: “You, Murja Ibrahim Kunya, on the 28th of December, 2023 at Tahir Guest Palace, Kano, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, whilst dancing in one of the rooms, tampered with Naira notes issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying and matching on same on the said occasion. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 21 (1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007.”
Following her guilty plea, EFCC counsel, Musa Isah, presented facts of the case and urged the court to convict the defendant accordingly.
Justice Simone Amobeda, in delivering judgment, convicted Kunya and sentenced her to six months in prison with an option of ₦50,000 (Fifty Thousand Naira) fine.
In a unique turn, the judge also issued a consequential order appointing the influencer as an Ambassador of the EFCC and Central Bank of Nigeria. This appointment requires her to use her large social media presence to educate Nigerians on the importance of respecting the naira and the legal implications of currency abuse.
Murja Kunya, known for her massive following on TikTok and other platforms, is now mandated to engage in online advocacy campaigns highlighting the dangers and punishments associated with naira mutilation, spraying, and other forms of abuse.
The EFCC stated that this judgment sends a strong message to the public, especially celebrities and social media personalities, about the need to uphold the integrity of Nigeria’s legal and financial systems.
Kunya’s sentencing is part of the EFCC’s broader campaign to clamp down on currency abuse and to enforce the provisions of the CBN Act across the country.
