The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has announced that numerous celebrities have been summoned for investigations and will face prosecution for spraying and defacing the Naira at social gatherings.
This statement comes shortly after the conviction of popular crossdresser Bobrisky, who was sentenced for the same offense on Friday, April 12.
Many Nigerian netizens have tagged the EFCC in various posts and video clips capturing celebrities abusing the Naira.
In a statement on Sunday, the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, acknowledged a surge in the sharing of old and new video clips of such naira abuse.
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“Increasingly, members of the public are drawing the attention of the Commission to video recordings of Nigerians from all walks of life abusing the naira. These gestures amply demonstrate the public’s rising consciousness of the sanctity of our national currency and the need for collaborative engagement to sustain the tempo,” the statement said.
“To this end, the Commission will always investigate and prosecute anyone involved in the abuse of the Naira. Old videos being exhumed and flying around for the attention of the Commission are noted, as the Commission is sensitive to the fact that its Special Task Force against Naira Abuse and Dollarization of the economy commenced operations on February 7, 2024. However, going forward, new videos of such infractions will be investigated and prosecuted,” he added
He went on to disclose that celebrities involved in any form of Naira abuse are currently under investigation.
“Currently, the Commission is investigating several celebrities involved in Naira abuse. Many of them have made useful statements to the Commission, and investigators working on the matter have invited many more,” he said.
The Federal High Court in Lagos sentenced Bobrisky to six months in jail without the option of a fine for naira abuse on Friday, April 12. The judge, Abimbola Awogboro, handed down the sentence after the controversial crossdresser pleaded guilty to the charges.
The 31-year-old caught the attention of the EFCC after a viral video clip showed him spraying and flaunting wads of new naira notes at the premiere of the movie Ajakaju on March 24, 2024.
