Human rights lawyer and activist, Deji Adeyanju, on Friday, called on the National Assembly to repeal Section 21 of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act, 2007, which criminalizes the abuse of the Naira.
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In an open letter signed by Adeyanju and addressed to the National Assembly, he argued that the rigid application of Section 21 fails to distinguish between deliberate mutilation of the Naira and cultural expressions.
The letter read in part:
“Huey P. Newton once said, ‘Laws should be made to serve the people. People should not be made to serve the laws.’ This timeless truth reminds us that laws must grow from the soil of a people’s lived experience, history, culture, and daily realities. When there is a gap between what the law dictates and how the people live, tension is inevitable. And when that gap widens, the law begins to feel distant—less like a source of order and more like a burden.”
Adeyanju emphasized that spraying money has long been a cherished cultural practice in Nigeria, deeply rooted in social celebrations such as weddings, birthdays, funerals, and chieftaincy ceremonies. According to him, “It is an act that expresses joy, generosity, and goodwill. For many communities, spraying money is not merely a display of wealth but a performative language of affection and cultural significance.”
He criticized law enforcement agencies for prosecuting individuals under the provision of Section 21 of the CBN Act, which criminalizes tampering with the Naira—defined to include spraying, writing on, stapling, or otherwise defacing banknotes.
“While the intention behind this legislation is presumably to preserve the integrity and longevity of the national currency, its enforcement reveals troubling inconsistencies. It raises serious questions about cultural context, proportionality in punishment, and the selective targeting of individuals,” he said.
Adeyanju argued that the practical impact of money spraying does not constitute real mutilation, as the notes are often collected, preserved, and returned to circulation. He lamented that this cultural nuance is lost in the blanket application of the law.
“The real irony lies not just in how the law is enforced, but in where the greatest abuse of the Naira actually occurs—in everyday places like markets, churches, and mosques, where people handle money repeatedly. Notes become worn or torn from natural use, not from any criminal act. Even the most respected currencies—Dollars, Pounds, Euros—suffer similar wear through regular transactions,” he wrote.
He posed a rhetorical question: “Does gently placing a note on someone’s forehead count as tampering with the Naira?” and warned that the law, in seeking to protect the currency, might be devaluing the rich cultural symbolism that gives money meaning beyond its economic function.
“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 people’s culture is not a good law. It is out of touch and out of place with the cultural heartbeat of the nation it seeks to govern,” Adeyanju added.
He urged the National Assembly to:
- Review and repeal or amend Section 21 of the CBN Act to reflect cultural realities.
- Distinguish between destructive defacement and cultural practices like spraying money at events.
- Ensure that enforcement is fair, proportional, and uniformly applied.
- Promote public education on the responsible handling of currency instead of criminalization.
He concluded:
“This is a call for a legal system that honours the traditions of its people while protecting the nation’s interests. As a concerned citizen, I am willing to collaborate with lawmakers, legal experts, and cultural leaders to develop a more inclusive legal framework that respects both cultural expression and the integrity of the Naira. If the goal is truly to protect the Naira, then the law must evolve—to balance regulation with cultural understanding and reaffirm that justice must be fair and contextually grounded.”
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