Naira abuse: Cubana Chief Priest pleads not guilty

A prominent figure on Instagram, Pascal Okechukwu, alias Cubana Chief Priest, has pleaded not guilty to alleged Naira abuse.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Cubana Chief Priest at the Federal High Court in Lagos for unlawfully spraying and manipulating Nigerian currency at a social gathering.

Cubana Chief Priest was said to have contravened the provisions of the Central Bank Act of 2007.

The EFCC lodged a three-count charge against Cubana Chief Priest, with the trial scheduled for Wednesday before Justice Kehinde Ogundare.

In the first count, it was alleged that on February 13th, 2024, at a hotel in Lagos, Cubana Chief Priest tampered with funds in the amount of N500 issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) by spraying it for two hours, thus committing an offense under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act 2007.

The second count accused Cubana Chief Priest of similar actions at a social event in Lagos in 2020, while the third count pertains to a January 2024 event in Lagos.

Following his plea of not guilty, the court approved his release on bail, setting it at ₦10 million.

The bail requires two reliable sureties, each with a similar sum, who are employed by either the federal or state government at a minimum grade level of 16.

Additionally, these sureties must possess landed property, and their documents must undergo verification by the court.

The court directed Cubana Chief Priest to surrender his travel passport to the court.

The fulfillment of these bail conditions must be completed within seven days.

This development follows closely on the heels of the EFCC’s prosecution of controversial personality Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, on comparable charges, resulting in a six-month jail sentence.