Kannywood Actress Samha Inuwa Sentenced to Six Months in Prison for Naira Abuse

The Federal High Court in Kano has sentenced popular Kannywood actress, Saadatu Mohammed Inuwa, widely known as Samha Inuwa, to six months’ imprisonment for abusing Nigeria’s national currency.

The judgment was delivered on Friday, February 13, 2026, by Justice S.M. Shuaibu of the Federal High Court of Nigeria sitting in Kano.

The actress was prosecuted under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act 2007, which prohibits the defacement, mutilation, or abuse of the country’s legal tender.

The charge stemmed from a 2022 incident in which she was found to have used a ₦1,000 note to wipe her nose—an act the law classifies as defacing and abusing the national currency.

During proceedings, the defendant pleaded guilty and appealed for leniency, expressing remorse and stating that she had no prior criminal record. Her counsel urged the court to temper justice with mercy.

However, Justice Shuaibu sentenced her to six months in prison, with an option of a ₦200,000 fine in lieu of custodial sentence.

Nigerian law prescribes strict penalties for the abuse or mutilation of the naira in a bid to safeguard the integrity and dignity of the nation’s currency.

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