Naira Abuse: Cubana Chief Priest Gets N10m Bail

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Federal High Court in Lagos State granted businessman and socialite, Pascal Okechukwu, better known as Cubana Chief Priest, N10m bail with two sureties in like sum on Wednesday.

The African Examiner writes that Cubana Chief Priest pleaded not guilty to tampering and abusing the naira inhis trial.

The socialite was arraigned before Justice Kehinde Ogundare on three counts which bordered on abuse of naira by allegedly spraying and tampering with the nation’s currency at a social event, contrary to the provisions of the Central Bank Act of 2007.

According to reports, he allegedly sprayed the naira on February 13, 2024, at Eko Hotel.

Also, it was stated that he committed the offence while he was dancing during a social event.

It was revealed that the socialite had tampered with funds in the denomination of N500 notes issued by the CBN by spraying the same for two hours.

In Count 3, it was alleged: “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.”

It could be recalled that the EFCC, on April 5, 2024, got the conviction of popular cross-dresser, Idris Okuneye, better known as Bobrisky, on similar charges for which he was sentenced to six-month imprisonment on Friday, April 12, 2024.

Earlier on Sunday, the EFCC disclosed that it was investigating many celebrities over alleged abuse of Naira notes.

In a statement, its spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said, “Many of them have made useful statements to the commission and many more have been invited by investigators working on the matter.

“The EFCC will not relent in its no-sacred-cow mode of operations and the public should be wary of running afoul of laws against the crime.”