A Federal High Court in Kano has sentenced Kannywood actress Saadatu Mohammed Inuwa, popularly known as Samha Inuwa, to six months in prison for abusing naira notes.
Justice S.M. Shuaibu delivered the verdict on Friday after Inuwa was found guilty of a one-count charge of naira mutilation, an offence under the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act of 2007.
According to the charge, Inuwa tampered with a N1,000 note by soiling it with her nose in 2022, violating Section 21(1) of the CBN Act. When the charge was read in court, she pleaded guilty.
Prosecuting counsel Musa Isah presented the facts and urged the court to convict and sentence her. In her plea for leniency, Inuwa, arrested on February 4, 2026, asked the court for mercy, stating she was a first-time offender and had shown genuine remorse.
After considering the case, the judge sentenced her to six months’ imprisonment, with the option of a N200,000 fine.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) intensified its crackdown on naira abuse in 2024, enforcing Section 21 of the CBN Act, which prohibits spraying, stamping, mutilating, or abusing the naira. Section 21(3) of the Act prescribes fines and imprisonment for offenders.
Several prominent Nigerians have recently faced arrest, interrogation, arraignment, and imprisonment for similar offences.
