The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, secured the conviction and sentencing of popular social media influencer, Murja Ibrahim Kunya. The judgment was delivered by Justice Simone Amobeda at the Federal High Court sitting in Kano.
Kunya was found guilty of tampering with the Nigerian currency—specifically, spraying and stepping on Naira notes during a social media broadcast. The incident occurred on December 28, 2023, while she was staying at Tahir Guest Palace in Kano. According to the charge, she committed the act while dancing in one of the hotel rooms, in violation of Section 21(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act, 2007.
The charge read, “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 at Tahir Guest Palace, tampered with Naira notes issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying and matching on same on the said occasion, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 21(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007.”
Kunya was initially arrested by the EFCC in January 2025 for violating the CBN Act, which prohibits the abuse and mutilation of the Naira. She was granted administrative bail pending her arraignment before the Federal High Court. However, in a bid to evade legal proceedings, she absconded and failed to appear in court on the scheduled date.
Following weeks of rigorous surveillance and investigation, EFCC operatives successfully re-arrested Kunya on Sunday, March 16, 2025. She was subsequently arraigned on May 20, 2025, where she pleaded guilty to an amended one-count charge.
During the proceedings, prosecution counsel Musa Isah presented the facts of the case and urged the court to convict her based on her plea. In his judgment, Justice Amobeda convicted Kunya and sentenced her to six months imprisonment. However, the court gave her the option of paying a fine of N50,000 (Fifty Thousand Naira only) in lieu of serving the jail term.
In a notable rehabilitative move, Justice Amobeda also issued a consequential order appointing Murja Ibrahim Kunya as an Ambassador for the EFCC and the Central Bank of Nigeria. This appointment is specifically aimed at leveraging her extensive social media influence to advocate against the abuse and mutilation of the Naira.
As part of her sentence, Kunya is mandated to use her social media platforms to educate her followers on the legal and ethical implications of disrespecting Nigeria’s currency. Through this outreach, she is expected to raise awareness and promote responsible behavior regarding the handling of the Naira, thereby contributing to the broader public enlightenment efforts of both the EFCC and CBN.
The case highlights the growing commitment of law enforcement agencies to enforce financial regulations and underscores the responsibility of social media influencers to model lawful conduct in their public activities.
About The Author
