Dismissing Selective Trial, EFCC to Arraign Cubana Chief Priest Today for Naira Abuse

Wale Igbintade

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will today, April 17, arraign a businessman and socialite, Pascal Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest, before the Federal High Court in Lagos for allegedly abusing the Naira.

Cubana Chief Priest will be arraigned before Justice Kehinde Ogundare on a three-count charge of allegedly spraying and tampering with the Naira notes at a social event contrary to the provisions of the Central Bank Act of 2007.

In the charge filed on April 4 by EFFC’s prosecutor, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Rotimi Oyedepo, and seven other lawyers representing the executive chairman of the anti-graft Commission, it was alleged that Okechukwu Pasca on February 13, 2024, at Eko Hotel, within the jurisdiction of the court, while dancing during a social event, tampered with funds in the denomination of N500 (Five Hundred Naira) notes issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same for two hours, and thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act 2007.

In count 2, it was alleged, “That you, Okechukwu Pasca, sometime in 2020, in Lagos during a social event, tampered with funds in the denomination of N500 (Five Hundred Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same for two hours, and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act 2007.”

In Count 3, it was alleged, “That you, Okechukwu Pasca, sometime in January 2024, in Lagos during a social event, tampered with funds in the denomination of N500 (Five Hundred Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act 2007.”

The EFCC had on April 5 secured the conviction of popular cross-dresser Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky, on similar charges for which he was sentenced to six-month imprisonment.