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A Nigerian makeup artist who threw naira while dancing during his wedding party last December was sentenced to six months in prison for misusing the cash.
Shortly after entering a guilty plea to the accusation, Abdullahi Musa Huseini, who goes by the handle “Amuscap” on social media, was sentenced by a high court in the northern city of Kano.
In Nigeria, the act of “flinging” or “spraying” banknotes is a common way for people to display their wealth and excitement at weddings and other festivities.
However, it has been the target of a campaign by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which claims that it disrespects the naira, one of the most significant symbols in the nation.
The most recent Nigerian to be imprisoned for breaking the Central Bank of Nigeria Act of 2007 is Amuscap. According to this, “spraying, dancing, or [marching] on the naira” is a crime that carries a minimum penalty of six months in jail, a fine of 50,000 naira ($32; £25), or both.
According to the EFCC, Amuscap “tampered” with 100,000 naira by sprinkling the notes while dancing during the wedding party.
After being found guilty of the same crime in separate proceedings last year, actress Oluwadarasimi Omoseyin and transgender woman Bobrisky were both sentenced to six months in prison.
The makeup artist’s sentence has sparked outcry among some social media users who claim the penalty is excessively severe.
One drew attention to the irony of imprisoning a man for “spraying his own money” while protecting those who are accused of embezzling the country’s wealth.
