A Nigerian groom has been sentenced to six months in prison for spraying currency notes during his wedding reception, in the latest crackdown on the abuse of the national currency.
Abdullahi Musa Huseini, a Kano-based make-up artist known online as “Amuscap,” pleaded guilty to a single charge of naira abuse and mutilation before Justice S.M. Shuaibu at the Federal High Court in Kano.
According to a statement from Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Huseini was arrested last December at his wedding celebration after intelligence reports flagged his actions.
“The convict was arrested at his own wedding celebration following credible intelligence on his involvement in the deliberate mutilation of the Nigerian currency by spraying it,” the EFCC said.
The agency reported that Huseini was seen dancing and spraying ₦100,000 worth of ₦1000 notes — about $63.70 — in violation of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s regulations. Spraying or defacing the naira, a common custom at Nigerian festivities to express joy and generosity, is illegal under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act, 2007.
The EFCC stressed that Huseini defied repeated warnings and awareness campaigns against naira abuse, which the agency considers a form of disrespect toward the national currency.
This case follows similar convictions last year, when a social media influencer and an actress, Oluwadarasimi Omoseyin, each received six-month prison sentences for the same offence. The EFCC has pledged to continue its efforts to curb the tradition of spraying money at public events.