Adeyanju to NASS: Repeal CBN law criminalizing naira spraying

By Ukpono Ukpong

Human rights lawyer and public affairs analyst, Barrister Deji Adeyanju, has called on the National Assembly to urgently repeal Section 21 of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act, 2007, which criminalizes the spraying of the naira during celebrations.

In an open letter titled “A Call to Repeal Section 21 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007 on Naira Abuse”, Adeyanju argued that the law is disconnected from the cultural realities of Nigerians and risks criminalizing a deeply rooted tradition that symbolizes joy, honour, and communal identity.

“Laws should be made to serve the people. People should not be made to serve the laws,” he quoted Huey P. Newton, stressing that legislation must reflect the lived experiences and cultural practices of the people it seeks to govern.

Adeyanju noted that money spraying is a widely accepted act during weddings, birthdays, funerals, and other social ceremonies, describing it as “a performative language of affection and cultural significance” rather than a deliberate act of currency abuse.

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He expressed concern that the recent clampdown by law enforcement agencies on celebrants and public figures for spraying money was a misapplication of the CBN Act.

“What the law characterizes as abuse is, for millions of Nigerians, a legitimate form of celebration,” he said.

Section 21 of the Act criminalizes actions such as spraying, writing on, or stapling the naira.

While Adeyanju acknowledged that protecting the integrity of the currency is important, he insisted that enforcement must recognize the difference between cultural practices and actual mutilation.

“In practice, sprayed notes are not necessarily damaged or rendered unusable. They are often collected, preserved, and reintroduced into circulation. Yet, this nuance is lost in the rigid application of Section 21,” he stated.

Highlighting the irony in the law’s enforcement, Adeyanju said, “The real abuse of the naira occurs not at weddings or red carpets, but in markets, churches, and mosques where the notes are folded, squeezed, and passed from hand to hand. This is not a crime; it is the reality of a currency in circulation.”

He warned that the current legal approach risks eroding cultural values.

“We must not let the enforcement of the law become an instrument that erodes our traditions and way of life. Any law that targets the way of life of the people is not a good law,” he emphasized.

Adeyanju urged the National Assembly to review and either repeal or amend Section 21, making a clear distinction between malicious defacement and cultural expression. He also advocated for public education on responsible currency handling instead of criminal penalties.

“This is a call for a legal system that honours the traditions of its people while protecting the nation’s interests,” he wrote. He expressed readiness to work with lawmakers, cultural leaders, and legal experts to develop a balanced framework that reflects Nigeria’s unique cultural landscape.

“If the goal is truly to protect the naira,” Adeyanju concluded, “then the law must evolve to balance its regulatory objectives with cultural realities of its people and reaffirm the principle that justice must both be fair and contextually grounded.”