In viral video, Gov Bello dances on Naira notes at party, risks six-month jail term

The Niger State Governor, Sanni Bello, has allegedly breached the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act 2007 after he was seen in a viral video dancing on Naira notes at a party recently.

With the act, the governor faces six-month imprisonment if the apex bank decides to pursue the case.

He could also get a N50,000 fine or made to face both punishments if convicted by court.

An official in CBN’s Currency Operations Department, Dorothy Onyene, had said last month that the agency would no longer accept any act that defaces the naira.

She said anyone caught spraying naira or dancing on the Nigerian currency would be sanctioned.

In the video, people were seen spraying money on the governor who continued dancing on the notes despite various warnings by the CBN.

READ ALSO: Gov Bello signs bill on Niger’s Security Trust Fund

The CBN Act states: “A person who tampers with a coin or note issued by the bank is guilty of an offence and shall be liable to an imprisonment for a term not less than six months or a fine not less than N50,000 or to both such fine and imprisonment.

“A coin or note shall be deemed to have been tampered with if the coin or note has been impaired, diminished, or lightened otherwise than by fair wear and tear or has been defaced by stumping, engraving, mutilating, piercing, stapling, writing, tearing, soiling, squeezing or any other form of deliberate and willful abuse whether the coin or note has or has not been thereby diminished or lightened.

“For the avoidance of doubt, spraying of, dancing, or matching on the Naira or any note issued by the Bank during social occasions or otherwise howsoever shall constitute an abuse and defacing of the Naira or such note and shall be punishable under Sub-section (1) of this section.”

However, the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, is yet to speak on the viral video.

Watch the video below:

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