Naira abuse: EFCC arraigns Cubana Chief Priest on Wednesday

After successfully securing the conviction of popular cross-dresser Idris Okuneye better known as Bobrisky, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC will on Wednesday arraigned another celebrity, Pascal Okechukwu also known as Cubana Chief Priest for allegedly spraying and tampering with the naira at a social event contrary to the provisions of the Central Bank Act of 2007.

The anti-graft agency had filed a three-count charge against Cubana Chief Priest who will be arraigned on Wednesday, April 17th, 2024 before Justice Kehinde Ogundare of the Federal High Court, Lagos.

The charges were filed by a team of lawyers of EFCC led by Rotimi Oyedepo on April 14th, according to Channels Television.

Count 1: “that you, Okechukwu Pascal on 13th Feb. 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) 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”.

Count 2: “that you Okechukwu Pascal 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”.

Count 3: “that you Okechukwu Pascal 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”.

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A Federal high Court in Lagos last Friday sentenced Idris Okuneye to six months in prison for naira abuse.

Justice Abimbola Awogboro, said Bobrisky who was prosecuted by the EFCC, was jailed as a deterrent to those that may engage in naira abuse.

She said Bobrisky’s offence is contrary to, and punishable, under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act 2007.

Naira abuse has been illegal in Nigeria for a long time, but spraying naira notes or throwing its bundles during social events has been a tradition in Nigeria for many years but unfortunately those in indulge in them have not been brought to book under the Act.

The Act criminalises naira abuse to include actions like throwing, stamping, engraving, selling, and mutilating the currency. They carry a penalty of a ₦50,000 fine or six months in prison.

Cubana Chief Priest is popular for spraying bundles of money at parties, the videos of which he regularly shared on his Instagram handles.

But according to the Act, tampering includes impairing, diminishing, or lightening coins or notes, as well as defacing them through stamping, engraving, mutilating, or other forms of deliberate abuse.

It notes that spraying, dancing, or stepping on the naira during social occasions or otherwise is considered an abuse and defacing of the currency, punishable under this Act.