Justice Uche Agomoh of the Federal High Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, has convicted two TikTok influencers, Bukola Rufai and Abdulateef Jimoh, for abusing Nigerian currency.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Head of Media and Publicity of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Dele Oyewale.
According to the EFCC, the defendants were arraigned on a joint one-count charge of currency mutilation by the agency’s Ibadan Zonal Directorate. The charge read:
“That you, Bukola Rufai and Abdulateef Jimoh, on or about the 25th day of September, 2024, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did march on Naira notes issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 21(3) of the Central Bank Act 2007 and punishable under Section 21(1) of the same Act.”
Both defendants pleaded guilty to the charge. Prosecution counsel Lanre Suleiman presented evidence, including video footage, and urged the court to convict them accordingly. In response, defence counsel O.D. Ajadi pleaded for leniency, describing the influencers as first-time offenders who were remorseful.
Justice Agomoh convicted the duo but opted for a fine in lieu of custodial sentencing, ordering each to pay a ₦50,000 fine.
The EFCC stated that their arrest followed the circulation of a TikTok video showing the duo spraying and trampling on Naira notes, a clear violation of Nigeria’s currency laws.