The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is set to arraign businessman and internet personality, Pascal Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest, before a Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, over allegations of spraying and abusing the naira.
According to the EFCC, Cubana Chief Priest faces a three-count charge for allegedly spraying and tampering with naira notes during different social events. This stands in violation of the Central Bank Act of 2007. The charge, filed by the EFCC’s prosecutor Rotimi Oyedepo on April 4, accused him of spraying N500 notes for prolonged periods on different occasions.
The EFCC alleged that “Okechukwu Pascal 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 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.
Count two stated: “that you, Okechukwu Pascal sometime in 2020, in Lagos during a social event, tampered with funds in the denomination of N500 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 three, the anti-graft agency alleged that the internet personality “sometime in January 2024, in Lagos during a social event, tampered with funds in the denomination of N500 issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying the same and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act 2007.”
The arraignment of Cubana Chief Priest follows the EFCC’s recent conviction of Instagram celebrity and crossdresser Bobrisky, who was sentenced to six months in prison. Justice Kehinde Ogundare of the Federal High Court, Lagos, will preside over Cubana’s case on Wednesday.