Justice Kehinde Ogundare of the Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered Nigerian socialite Pascal Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest, to produce his bi-weekly social media content for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Mr Ogundare gave the verdict on Tuesday at the resumed hearing of the naira abuse case against Mr Okechukwu by the anti-graft agency.

The judge ruled after the adoption of the terms of the settlement reached between Mr Okechukwu and the EFCC in the suit.

“The agreement applies only to the findings relating to the contravention of the law contained in the pending charge preferred against the defendant.

“The defendant shall enter into a bond with the EFCC to be of good behaviour and never indulge in any economic and financial crime or related offences.

“The defendant shall engage in rigorous and intensive sensitisation and/or campaign against the abuse of coins and notes issued under the CBN Act as legal tender.

“The defendant shall bi-monthly post on his various social media handles a minimum of two video clips of his sensitisation/campaign against abuse of naira and sundry offences.

“The defendant shall pay to the consolidated revenue fund of the federation such sum not below the sum of N10 million only upon the execution of this agreement.”

Mr Ogundare had earlier struck out the charge against Mr Okechukwu over the alleged abuse of the naira.

This came after the EFCC’s prosecutor, Bilikisu Buhari, informed the court that the prosecution had filed the terms of settlement dated June 24 and adopted the same.

“Upon the agreement of the prosecution and defence pursuant to the EFCC Establishment Act, the agreement having been presented to the court, this charge is hereby struck out as the defendant is at this moment cautioned,” the judge held.

On April 17, the EFCC arraigned the Nigerian celebrity on three counts of allegedly spraying and tampering with the naira notes during a social event at the Eko Hotel in Lagos.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted bail in the sum of N10 million and was released to his lawyer.

Reacting to the verdict, EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale said the anti-graft agency acted in accordance with section 14(2) of its Establishment Act, 2004, in pursuing the case against Mr Okechukwu for the alleged abuse of the naira note.  

Mr Oyewole added that the “Section of the EFCC’s Establishment Act empowers the commission to compound any offence, subject to provisions of section 174 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by “accepting such sum of money as it deems fit exceeding the maximum amount by which the offender would have been liable if he had been convicted.”

He further revealed that “To this end, the N10,000,000 (ten million naira) the court fined Cubana Chief Priest far exceeded the N50,000 (fifty thousand naira) his offence carries.

“This is in response to the application made to the EFCC by counsel to the defendant, Chikaosolu Ojukwu, SAN, seeking the compounding of the offences under Section 14(2) of the EFCC Act. Additionally, Cubana Chief Priest would henceforth lead rigorous and intensive sensitisation or campaign against abuse of coins and notes issued under the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN Act.

“The Special Task Force against Naira Abuse and Dollarisation of the Economy is still in place. The commission remains undeterred in the pursuit of its lawful mandate, and the court’s ruling on Cubana Chief Priest should stimulate enhanced commitment of Nigerians to defend the sanctity of the Naira and refrain from any infraction against the nation’s legal tender.”