Man jailed for spraying Naira notes at funeral ceremony in Edo

Osazee Kenneth Imagbenikaro has been convicted by Justice C.A. Obiozor of the Federal High Court in Benin City for spraying naira notes at a funeral ceremony on April 28, 2023.

Imagbenikaro pleaded guilty to a two-count charge of violating Section 21(3) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (Establishment) Act 2007, which prohibits the spraying of naira notes.

The prosecution counsel, Francis Jirbo, requested a conviction and sentence based on Imagbenikaro’s guilty plea.

The defense counsel, however, appealed for leniency, citing Imagbenikaro’s remorsefulness and requesting that justice be tempered with mercy.

Justice Obiozor sentenced Imagbenikaro to six months’ imprisonment on each count or a fine of N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) for each count.

Additionally, Imagbenikaro is required to provide a written undertaking to behave well in the future.

This conviction serves as a reminder of the importance of respecting the legal tender of Nigeria and the consequences of violating the country’s laws.