Cubana Chief Priest pleads not guilty, granted ₦10m bail for alleged Naira abuse

According to recent reports, Pascal Okechukwu, widely known as Cubana Chief Priest, has entered a plea of not guilty and has been granted bail in the sum of ₦10 million by a prominent Nigerian court following his arraignment by the EFCC.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had scheduled to arraign Pascal Okechukwu, popularly referred to as Cubana Chief Priest, before the Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday, April 17, for alleged misconduct involving the Naira.

Cubana Chief Priest stood before Justice Kehinde Ogundare facing a three-count charge, accusing him of improperly handling Naira notes during a social gathering, which is contrary to the provisions of the Central Bank Act of 2007.

The charges, filed on April 4 by the EFCC’s prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, along with seven other legal representatives of the Commission, alleged that on February 13, 2024, at Eko Hotel in Lagos, Okechukwu Pasca, while engaged in dancing at an event, tampered with N500 notes issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying them for a prolonged period, thus violating Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act 2007.

In another instance outlined in count 2, Okechukwu Pasca was accused of similar misconduct during a social event in Lagos in 2020, while count 3 cited a similar occurrence in January 2024, both in contravention of the same section of the Central Bank Act.

It’s noteworthy that on April 5, the EFCC successfully prosecuted popular cross-dresser Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky, on comparable charges, resulting in a six-month prison sentence.