Kano TikToker Murja Kunya Bags 6-month Jail Term Over Naira Abuse

Controversial Tiktoker, Murja Ibrahim Kunya, who is known for her controversial content, has been sentenced to six-month imprisonment by the Federal High Court in Kano for abusing the Nigerian currency, Naira.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) secured the conviction on Wednesday before Justice Simone Amobeda, following Kunya’s guilty plea to a one-count amended charge of Naira abuse.

LEADERSHIP reports that the charge stemmed from a viral video recorded on December 28, 2023, showing Kunya dancing, spraying, and trampling on Naira notes in a hotel room at Tahir Guest Palace, Kano. The act contravenes Section 21(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act, 2007, which prohibits the mutilation and abuse of Nigerian currency.

Kunya was first arrested in January 2025 and granted administrative bail by the EFCC. However, she failed to appear for her scheduled arraignment and went into hiding in a bid to evade trial. After several weeks of surveillance, EFCC operatives rearrested her on March 16, 2025.

Kunya was formally arraigned on May 20 and pleaded guilty to the charge. During Wednesday’s hearing, the prosecution counsel, Musa Isah, reviewed the facts of the case and urged the court to convict the defendant based on her admission and available evidence.

Justice Amobeda sentenced the TikToker to six-month imprisonment with an option of a N50,000 fine. The court also ordered that Kunya be appointed as an Ambassador for the EFCC and CBN in their online campaigns against Naira abuse.

The order “mandates Kunya to utilize her social media reach to educate her followers on the importance of respecting the Nigerian currency and the legal consequences of its abuse or mutilation.”