IBADAN, Nigeria — Two social media influencers, Bukola Rufai and Abdulateef Jimoh, have been convicted for mutilating Nigerian currency in a video that went viral on TikTok.
Justice Uche Agomoh of the Federal High Court in Ibadan delivered the verdict on Wednesday, according to a statement released by EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale.
The duo was arraigned on a one-count charge of currency mutilation, brought by the Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The charge stated that on September 25, 2024, the defendants trampled on and sprayed Naira notes, violating Section 21(3) of the Central Bank Act 2007, an offense punishable under Section 21(1) of the same law.
Both defendants pleaded guilty. The prosecution, led by Lanre Suleiman, presented the facts and urged the court to convict them. Defense counsel O.D. Ajadi appealed for leniency, emphasizing that they were first-time offenders and had shown remorse.
Justice Agomoh convicted the pair but opted for a non-custodial sentence, fining each ₦50,000.
The EFCC revealed that the conviction followed a TikTok video in which Rufai and Jimoh were seen spraying and stepping on Naira notes, an act that drew public criticism and led to their arrest.
