Naira Mutilation: Instagram Celebrity, Cubana Chief Priest lands in trouble as EFCC drags him to court

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) has filed a three-count charge against Cubana Chief Priest, a popular Instagram celebrity,  accused of abusing the naira, Nigeria’s currency.

According to the EFCC, Cubana chief priest will be arraigned on Wednesday, April 17, before Justice Kehinde Ogundare of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

Dele Oyewale, the EFCC spokesperson confirmed the development in a telephone interview with our correspondent on Tuesday.

Oyewale revealed, “Yes, the Cubana Chief Priest is in our custody, and he’ll be arraigned in court tomorrow (Wednesday).”

Meanwhile, in a suit filed on April 4, 2024, by the EFFC’s prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) and seven other lawyers representing the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, it was alleged that Pascal Okechukwu, 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.

In the charge marked FHC/L/ 246/2024,, the commission also alleged that sometime in 2020, during a social event in Lagos, Cubana Chief Priest tampered with funds in the denomination of N500 issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria, 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.”