RismadarVoice Reporters, March 31, 2026
The Federal High Court sitting in Independence Layout, Enugu State, has convicted and sentenced a 24-year-old man, Iziga Jude Ikechukwu, also known as Easy-money, to one year imprisonment for abusing the naira during his birthday celebration.
The trial judge, Justice F. O. Giwa-Ogunbanjo, handed down the sentence after the defendant pleaded guilty to a one-count charge bordering on the mutilation of naira notes to the tune of N81,700. The offence contravenes Section 21(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007.
According to the charge filed by the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ikechukwu committed the offence on February 22, 2026, at Embassy Hotel, Enugu Ezike, where he was seen dancing and stepping on the naira notes during his birthday celebration.
Following his guilty plea, the court sentenced him to one year imprisonment with an option of a N300,000 fine. The court also ordered that the sum of N81,700 recovered from him be forfeited to the Federal Government through the EFCC.
Ikechukwu, a palm kernel dealer, was arrested on February 28, 2026, at his residence near the timber market in Enugu Ezike. His arrest followed actionable intelligence based on a viral video circulating on social media, which showed him abusing the naira in a hotel room.
The EFCC reiterated that the abuse of the naira remains a punishable offence under Nigerian law and warned members of the public to handle the national currency with respect.
