TikTok Influencer Murja Kunya Sentenced to Six Months in Prison for Naira Abuse
A Federal High Court in Kano has sentenced popular TikTok influencer, Murja Kunya, to six months imprisonment for abusing the Nigerian currency.
Justice Simon Amobeda delivered the verdict on Wednesday after Kunya pleaded guilty to a charge brought against her by the Kano Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Kunya’s arrest followed a viral video showing her spraying Naira notes at a hotel – an act that violates provisions of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act, which prohibits the abuse or mutilation of the national currency.
Initially arrested in January 2025, Kunya was granted administrative bail but failed to appear in court when summoned, prompting the EFCC to launch a manhunt. She was re-arrested on March 16, 2025, after weeks of surveillance.
At her arraignment on May 20, Kunya entered a guilty plea to the amended one-count charge. The court subsequently handed her a six-month custodial sentence without the option of a fine.
Her conviction marks another enforcement of Nigeria’s crackdown on the public abuse of its currency, a trend that has drawn increasing attention on social media platforms.
